The Truth in Lies
by Driftingthought
Summary: When a seemingly-unstoppable villain rears his head, how will Robin and the Titans respond? Will they actually be forced to ask their greatest enemy for help, or is this all just part of his plan?
1. Three Months Ago

This story delves into the darker side of Teen Titans. Set post Season 5, after the Brotherhood's defeat, Things Change, etc. RATING WARNING: Rated T+ (if I could) for blood, death, mentions of blood, death, pain, torture, and mental instability here and there. HEAVY adult themes, adult undertones, and innuendo present.

I do not own the Teen Titans or any of their franchises.

* * *

The Truth in Lies

Robin walked into the Tower's living room, grabbing a slice of pizza from the fridge and idly watching the rest of the team. It'd been over a month since the Titans had responded to any crime alerts, and things had been quite casual at the Tower since then. Beast Boy and Cyborg sat on the couch, spitting fire at each other as they tried to beat the other at a video game; Starfire busied herself at the dining room table attempting to feed Silkie some sort of Tamaranian goop, and Raven sat in a corner reading a spell book.

Though it was odd having next to no crime in Jump City, it made sense. Ever since the Titans had taken down every, and it really was _every_ , from the Brain to Fang, villain in Jump City and placed them in custody, things had been quiet. Now the Titans were just busy being the Titans.

It wasn't as if Robin, or anyone else for that matter, had grown lazy in this time of "calm before the storm" as Raven put it, but he did enjoy the ability to relax a bit. Everyone had even been able to get some things on their "to-do" lists done. Since Slade was no longer dead, Robin himself had gotten the several boxes devoted to the man from the basement and placed them back inside his crime room. Cyborg had updated the Tower security and added a few new gadgets to his T-car. Starfire, after a dozen failed attempts, had successfully made the Tamaranian dish Blorgspotch, apparently a delicacy on her planet. Raven had read through half the spell books on Azarath, and Beast Boy had beaten his high score on Mega Monkeys 4.

Now finished with his slice of pizza, Robin walked over to the Tower's window and stared out toward Jump City. Even so, with all the relaxing the Titans were able to do, all this lack of crime was a bit . . . unnerving. Robin couldn't help wondering if there really was a storm coming to Jump City, just as Raven had said a week earlier. Frowning, Robin turned to the rest of the team.

"Hey, Titans," Robin said.

Cyborg had leveled his cyber cannon at an octopus Beast Boy. Hearing Robin, the two quit their fight, paused their game, and walked over to him, followed by Raven and Starfire. Starfire was covered in quite a bit of food that she'd been trying to feed Silkie.

"What's up, Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"Is there an alert of the crime?" Starfire asked, wiping some of Silkie's food off her face.

Robin glanced over his shoulder at Jump City, then back to the Titans. "What do you guys think about the lack of crime there's been for the last month?"

"Dude, it's great!" Beast Boy laughed. "Finally I get to sleep in and not worry about anyone waking me up at five in the morning!"

"It's quiet," Raven said. "It's nice."

"And I have been able to make several delicious Tamaranian dishes with the lack of crime," Starfire said, beaming.

"The T-car's looking great," Cyborg said.

Robin nodded, but a twinge of worry still tugged at him. Why _hadn't_ there been any crime within the last month? Were all the villains of Jump City planning some nefarious scheme? Or was it —

"Hey, I know what you're thinking, man, but don't worry about it," Cyborg said, stepping forward and putting a hand on Robin's shoulder. "There's no use in worrying about something that's not even here yet."

"I worried myself sick before my birthday and our battle with Trigon," Raven added.

"Cyborg's right; It only makes things worse."

"If you wish for the distraction, you can help me feed the Silkie," Starfire said, walking toward him and holding out her pet.

"Or just go train," Raven suggested.

Robin held his hand up to stop Starfire's advance. "That's okay, Star." He grinned. "You know what? Training sounds —"

"And don't worry!" Beast Boy said. "It's been like three months since we've seen or heard from Slade, so . . ." Beast Boy looked around at the rest of the Titans with a smile, recoiling when he saw their glares of fire.

Robin's jaw twitched. Like he had forgotten; how could he forget Slade? Ever since Trigon had been defeated three months prior, he'd disappeared. But that didn't mean he was gone or not working behind the scenes. Far from it. He was definitely planning something. Maybe that was the storm Raven had been talking about. Robin, however, knowing what the rest of the Titans would say if he began obsessing over Slade again, shook off his thoughts. "I'm going to train," he muttered, walking toward the hallway door. Behind him, Robin could hear the Titans' whispering.

"Do you just enjoy being an idiot?" Raven hissed.

"Just _had_ to bring it up, didn't you, Beasty?" Cyborg asked.

"We almost had him in the relaxed!" Starfire sighed.

Robin had barely walked through the door before the Tower alarms went off. A jolt of both panic and excitement rushed through him as he ran back into the Tower living room, accessing the Tower data base to see what the crime alert was.

"Who is it?" Cyborg asked.

"The H.I.V.E.?" Raven asked.

"The Slade?" Starfire asked.

Robin blinked, then slammed his fist on the counter. "It's the Brain. Him and his gang have broken out of prison! We need to put them back where they belong!"

"Why can't the people we put in jail actually stay there?" Beast Boy asked, already turning into a wolf.

"Because then there'd be no need for heroes like us," Raven said, pulling her hood over her face.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, leading the charge out of the Tower and over to Jump City's maximum security prison. When the Titans arrived, they found half of the building in ruins. Rubble lay everywhere, and several guards were knocked out. "Didn't take them long to fight past all those guards," Robin said as Cyborg flipped over a large boulder and freed a guard who was underneath it. "Titans, fan out and find the Brain. Also be on the lookout for Monsieur Mallah or Madame Rouge."

"Got it. I just can't believe those three managed to escape," Beast Boy said, human for an instant before changing into a bat.

"We put him in a maximum security prison," Cyborg said. "How was he able to break out at all?"

"Doesn't matter. Fan out," Robin repeated. "Find them. Go!"

The Titans separated, sweeping the area in a five mile radius as they searched for the three escaped villains.

"Titans, report," Robin said some thirty minutes later.

"Nothing to report," Raven said.

"It's all clear here," Cyborg said. "Wherever those three went, they're long gone."

"Vanished into thin air, more like it," Beast Boy said.

"All right," Robin said, sighing in tiredness. "Let's give it one more hour before calling it a night." The Titans all acknowledged, then Robin cut the transmission. Barely had the call ended before Robin squeezed his communicator in frustration. Of course the Brain, Mallah, and Rouge had gotten away. It was quite common for escaped criminals to be on the run for days, even weeks, before the Titans recaptured them, but Robin found this breakout to be particularly frustrating. Maybe it was because they hadn't had a crime alert in a month and Robin believed himself to have become sloppy during that time. Perhaps it was because a villain's breaking out of prison was a bit of a deflation for a hero's ego. Or maybe it was because, deep down, Robin had secretly hoped that the villain they faced would've been Slade.

Robin blinked as he walked on the sidewalk, nearly dropping his communicator as he continued his search that became more and more futile as time passed. It wasn't because he enjoyed fighting the man, though combat against a worthy opponent was, indeed, thrilling. Adrenaline rushes aside, Robin hated Slade. He hated him and wanted him gone. However, three months of time to hear nothing from the man made Robin a bit nervous. If nothing else, seeing Slade behind this breakout, or just seeing him at all, would've set Robin's mind at ease. At least then, whatever Slade was planning would start. The longer Robin was forced to wait on Slade, the more worried he became of the man's plan. What _was_ he planning? What plot did he have to take them down?

"Cyborg here, I've just found Rouge."

"On my way," Robin said into his communicator. Transmission cut out after that, but Robin was already running toward the site of Cyborg's locator. He was just passing an alleyway when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hello, Robin."


	2. Fighting Alone

Robin leapt eight and a half feet in the air, turning around and pulling out his bow staff the instant he landed. "Slade," he growled. Squinting through the darkness, Robin saw Slade casually leaning against the alley wall. "What are you doing here?" he spat, raising his bow staff high to defend himself in case their conversation turned to blows.

"Despite your leadership of the Titans, your level of awareness is quite poor," Slade said, his eye glancing upward briefly to look at something behind Robin before stepping away from the wall with his hands behind his back.

Robin blushed briefly. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, gripping his bow staff even tighter.

"How long do you suppose I've been here, Robin?" Slade asked coolly. "And how many times already did you overlook one of the villains you're vainly trying to capture?"

Robin's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "My level of awareness is just _fine_."

"Hmm. Of course." Slade's single eye seemed to be following one of the rooftop buildings behind Robin, but Robin didn't dare glance over his shoulder for fear that Slade would attack.

Pausing for a moment, Robin's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Wait, did you release the Brain from prison?"

"Is it your belief that I am behind everything that occurs in your precious Jump City?"

Robin blinked. "I know you're planning something," he said. "What is it?"

At this, Robin thought he saw Slade smile. "Patience, Robin. But I'm sure that you would give even the mask off your face if you could know of my plans."

Robin gasped, and his hand shot up momentarily to his mask to make sure it was still in

place. Then his eyes narrowed. "Shut up!" Robin snarled. "Just tell me what you're planning!"

"More pressing matters require your attention," Slade said, his single eye now concentrated on a rooftop behind Robin.

"What?" Robin briefly glanced several times over his shoulder, still not willing to focus all his attention behind him since Slade might attack. But when he looked back at Slade and saw both condescension in the man's eye and a single finger pointing to a specific rooftop behind Robin, Robin turned around fully. It took Robin's eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness before he saw what Slade was pointing at. Off in the distance, he saw six figures on a rooftop, apparently engaged in battle. "Madame Rouge," he muttered. Then Robin turned back to Slade, contemplating. Should he assist his friends in their battle against Rouge and let Slade get away? Or should he face Slade here and now, trusting his friends to take care of Rouge? Exhaling once, Robin made his decision instantly. Holding his bow staff high, he rushed Slade.

At the last second, Slade pulled out his own bow staff and deflected Robin's attack. "I'm quite surprised that you would choose me over a villain who's recently broken out of prison," Slade said, matching Robin blow for blow as they fought. "I have not, as of yet, done anything to merit a battle. In fact, you could even say that I assisted you in—"

"If you're wanting me to say thank you, Slade," Robin growled, "you can—" Only after he saw Slade's eye narrow in a sneer did Robin blink and realize what he'd done. Letting out an impressive snarl, Robin attacked again but Slade dodged. "What are you planning?!" he yelled.

"Patience, Robin. Focus your attention on the escaped criminals," Slade said. "That is, if something like that is even possible for you."

Robin blushed automatically at Slade's tone, not understanding what he meant but knowing that it was condescending nonetheless. "I don't—"

"No, Robin," Slade said, blocking another kick. "Yet you chose for your friends to battle alone."

"Just tell me why you're here! What you're planning?" Robin shouted.

Slade gave no response, and the two of them continued their battle. Back at the Tower, Robin sparred and fought with every single member of the Titans on a daily basis. It was part of their routine and Robin enjoyed the training. But against Slade, it was never training to Robin. It wasn't even a battle.

Against Slade, it was a war.

Robin could only hope that the day never came when the Titans would see him like this. Only against Slade did Robin change, tapping into the darkness inside him and unleashing it with a force that made Robin wonder if he really was a hero. No other opponent caused Robin to lust for pain and injury. Not Mad Mod, Control Freak, or Mumbo, not the H.I.V.E. or Red X, not even Batman or the Joker himself had ever been able to do such things. Slade was the only person in existence who could draw Robin out so quickly and completely and soon have him fighting with savage intentions. Hits that were created not to injure, but to shatter bone. Blows designed to kill and cuts meant to draw lethal amounts of blood. Robin gave it his all and then some.

It was a thrill. A high. A desperate need to defeat, to end, and to annihilate.

He didn't care that Slade saw the way he fought, and he knew better to think that Slade assumed he fought this way against all villains. Slade knew, and his eye glowed each time the two of them engaged each other.

He'd almost missed it, in a way. It'd been three months since Robin had been able to go all

out. No one else on the team could match his martial arts or hand-to-hand combat skills. Starfire

and Raven both had their powers and the ability to fly, while Cyborg relied on his technology and Beast Boy, his animal forms. They couldn't provide him with the kind of challenge he desired. Other villains were suitable, but never difficult to defeat. Usually they were quite boring. But Slade met, matched, and exceeded Robin's capabilities and stamina in every battle. So Robin left, determined to get better, and when they fought again it was the same. It was as though Slade were a well of never-ending strength and intelligence that Robin could never reach. The levels he strove to made Robin glow. He couldn't deny that he liked it, even if he hated the man whom he fought.

And so, their battles continued. Robin, desperate to find out Slade's plan, and Slade, casually leading down the Titans down a false trail before springing a trap that they saw only after it was too late.

He and Slade broke apart. Robin, panting and angry. Slade, tall and calm.

"What are you planning?" Robin asked again, gripping his bow staff with both hands.

"Patience, Robin." Slade chuckled briefly, then threw a gadget into the center of the alleyway. Robin gasped when he realized it was a bomb, and he barely had time to leap out of the way and take cover before the bomb detonated. Running into the smoke as it cleared, Robin looked around and sighed when he realized that Slade was long gone. With a scoff, Robin pocked his bow staff, then turned and raced to the rooftop to where his teammates were. By the time he arrived, Madame Rouge had disappeared as well. The Titans were down for the count, but they rose up in fury when Robin appeared.

"Where were you, dude?" Beast Boy asked. "We got our tails kicked!"

"Yeah, you said you were on your way," Cyborg asked, reattaching his arm.

"We almost had her, but she escaped," Raven said, rubbing her wrists.

"Why did you not join us in the battle?" Starfire asked.

"I was busy," Robin said, glancing back at the alleyway where Slade was just minutes before.

"Doing what?" Beast Boy asked with a small growl. "Slacking off?"

"I saw Slade. I fought him," Robin said.

"So he's finally come out of hiding," Raven said.

"Did he say anything of importance?" Starfire asked.

"Was he behind the prison breakout?" Cyborg asked.

"If he was, he didn't say," Robin said.

"So you two just had a chat while we were busy fighting Rouge?" Beast Boy asked.

"This is Slade, Beast Boy!" Robin said. "Have you forgotten that he's one of the deadliest criminals in Jump City?"

"No, but I haven't forgotten how much you obsess over him whenever he shows his face," Beast Boy muttered.

Robin clenched his fists in anger, then sighed. "The Brain escaped; that's all that matters. Since it's late, we'll end our search for the night and continue tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Cyborg said, yawning.

"The sleep would be good," Starfire said.

"And there's leftover pizza to eat," Beast Boy said, changing into a crow and taking flight.

The four Titans began the journey back to the Tower, but Robin paused before leaving the rooftop and glanced again over his shoulder. "I just wonder what he's planning," Robin said. Then he shook his head and followed the rest of the Titans back to the Tower. Dinner would be good, as would sleep. Tomorrow they would recapture the Brain and put him back in prison. Then Robin could focus his attention on what really mattered.


	3. Tick Tock

"Hello? Brain? Where are you?"

Robin muted his communicator as Beast Boy's voice came through. He turned to Cyborg. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I think the Brain's long gone," Cyborg said. "If we want to find him, I think it'd be better just to wait for him to strike."

Robin nodded. The entire team had been searching for the Brain since dawn with no luck. Now the sun was starting to set. "Starfire, Raven, report."

"Nothing here," Raven said.

"I also report nothing," Starfire said, while Beast Boy sang a tune on the other line.

"He's just a brain. He's really lame," Beast Boy sang. "Though he's smart, he's got no heart. No Brain here, dude."

Robin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Titans, I think we'll just give it a—"

Suddenly Robin's communicator flashed red, signifying a crime alert. Accessing the GPS, he relayed the location of the break-in to the rest of the Titans. "The Brain has been spotted at a technology facility on the north side of town," Robin said. "Titans, go!" The Titans raced through the streets of Jump City, hoping that they would get there before the Brain left the scene of the crime. By the time they had arrived at the technology facility, however, half the building was destroyed. The Brain was gone.

"Nothing here," Cyborg said, scanning the area. "We're too late."

"For being just a brain in a jar, he's pretty fast," Beast Boy said.

Robin sighed and surveyed the damage to the facility before turning to the Titans. "Did he steal anything?"

Raven phased from out of the facility, nodding toward Robin's direction. "The only thing that's missing is the core fusion reactor."

"Wait, there's a Chronoton Detonator in that facility, and the Brain stole a _fusion reactor_?" Cyborg asked. "That's like stealing the toaster instead of the mountain of gold beside it!"

"Maybe the Brain wants to make the first ever coffle," Beast Boy said.

"Coffle?" Raven asked.

"Cookie waffle," Beast Boy said.

"Fan out and search," Robin said, taking out his grappling hook. "They can't have gotten very far."

"This time, if we find any of them, could you actually show up to battle?" Beast Boy asked, changing into greyhound.

"Right," Robin said, glancing in Beast Boy's direction. "We'll do a ten mile sweep. Got it?" Everyone nodded, and Robin nodded as well. "Titans, go!" The search was on, and this time Robin took to the rooftops so that he could have a vantage point to see from. What would the Brain want with a core fusion reactor anyway? Besides being very unstable, such a device was practically useless. Its lack of power only allowed it to fuse very small things, such as marbles, dice, or . . . waffles. All things considered, it would've been a much smarter choice to steal the Chronoton Detonator. Did the Brain really have a plan, or had he messed up? Was there something going on that neither he nor the Titans had thought of yet? Robin's thoughts were interrupted as an explosion off in the distance got his attention, and he was just about to investigate when Beast Boy's voice interrupted him.

"Hey, guys?" Beast Boy's voice came through the communicator. "Something's going on. I think you'd better get over h—"

Whatever else Beast Boy said cut out, and Robin blinked and shook his communicator.

"Beast Boy? Beast Boy! Come in!" Pocketing the communicator, Robin raced toward Beast Boy's locator signal, hearing Starfire and Raven overhead half a minute later. "Do you guys see anything?" he shouted up to them.

"I cannot see anything yet," Starfire said. "I think I might see a plane, but I am not sure."

"I can almost . . ." Raven paused in the middle of flight. "Hold on. What's Beast Boy doing at the H.I.V.E Academy?"  
Robin blinked. "The H.I.V.E.? What—" Robin turned and saw Cyborg over to his left.

"Man, what's going on at the H.I.V.E.? I heard an explosion, but my scanners can't travel that far," Cyborg said as he joined the team. "Is every villain starting something crazy?"

"Don't know," Robin said, taking off running again with the other three. "But it's about to get crazier!" When the Titans arrived, they were shocked to find the H.I.V.E.'s rooftop completely destroyed. Looking to his right, Robin saw Beast Boy lying on the ground, rubbing his head. He raced over to his friend and squatted down beside him. "What happened?"

"It was so weird," Beast Boy said. "I saw Mallah, Rouge, and the Brain all walk into the H.I.V.E. right before I contacted you guys, but then the rooftop exploded and all three of them came out through the ceiling—"

"Why would they infiltrate the H.I.V.E.?" Raven asked.

"Do the villains not all work together?" Starfire asked.

"That was the weirdest part of all," Beast Boy said, standing up and stretching like a cat. When they came out through the ceiling, I saw that Mallah, Rouge, and the Brain had captured Jinx, Mammoth, Seemore, Billy Numerous, and Gizmo."

"Wait, what?" Cyborg asked. "Why would they kidnap other villains?"

"This doesn't make sense," Raven said.

"And they got away?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy nodded glumly. "I tried to go dinosaur on them, but they creamed me, dude."

"Don't sweat it," Cyborg said. "The four of us had a hard time with Rouge anyway."

"But why the H.I.V.E.?" Robin wondered. "Why would they kidnap the H.I.V.E.'s top five students?

"It's strange," Raven agreed. "Should we search for them?"

"Yes," Robin said. "If they're now carrying five extra people, they should be easy to track down or locate—"

"Not exactly," Beast Boy said. "I forgot to mention, they've got a huge plane and they went inside it right after busting up the H.I.V.E. They're probably long gone by now."

"That was the plane I saw!" Starfire said.

Robin sighed in frustration. "Then it's another waiting game."

"First that technological facility, then the H.I.V.E. Academy . . ." Raven frowned. "Is there some connection we're just not making?"

"Don't know, but it looks like we might find out," Robin said, glancing down at his communicator as it alerted the Titans to yet another crime occurring. "The Brain's struck again."

"Again?" Cyborg asked, glancing down at his own communicator. "How many crimes is the Brain gonna commit tonight? Twenty?"

"He certainly isn't wasting any time," Raven noted.

Robin located the complex that was being disrupted. "It's the prison that's holding Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload."

"Looks like we're going to have an overload of villains," Beast Boy said, grinning over at

Raven, who refused to laugh.

"Let's get over there," was all Raven said.

"Friends, let us go take down the Brain!" Starfire said.

"Come on!" Robin shouted, leading the way to the west side of Jump City. However, when the Titans arrived at the prison, they were, for the fourth time that week, too late. Robin shook off his anger at himself for not being able to stop the Brain as the Titans took stock of the state of the prison and their own situation.

"Who's gone?" Beast Boy asked, sniffing a piece of rubble as a dog then switching to a gorilla as he flipped the rubble over and helped a guard out.

"Overload is the only one that is gone," Starfire reported.

Robin took out his bow staff and stabbed it into the ground. "Why only Overload?"

"For some reason, Cinderblock and Plasmus weren't freed," Raven said, moving a piece of rubble with her powers. "They were right next to Overload in the cell, but the Brain only freed Overload."

"What's the Brain's plan?" Robin asked, biting his lip.

"Tick tock, Robin."

Robin whirled around, snarling and pulling his bow staff out of the ground as he recognized Slade's voice. "Why are you here?"

Slade stepped out of the darkness of the prison, motioning to the destruction behind him. "The plan that you five have yet to figure out is incredibly obvious. As the leader of the Titans, I'm surprised, Robin."

"Shut up," Robin snarled. "What are you planning? What's the Brain planning? And how do you know about it?"

"Your time is growing short, Robin," Slade said, his eye glowing. "I suggest you figure it out before it's too late."

"You've never shown interest in any of the villains we've fought before," Cyborg said, frowning.

"Why the sudden interest?" Raven asked.

"My reasons are my own," Slade said, melting back into the shadows. "But I suggest you act fast."

"What do you have to do with this?" Robin asked. After receiving no answer, Robin went on

offense. "Titans, go!" Robin yelled, rushing into destroyed part of the building and throwing several bombs ahead of him for good measure. He rushed in and braced himself for battle, but by the time the smoke cleared, Slade had disappeared.


	4. Mind on the Enemy

"Man, how does he do that?" Cyborg asked.

"I can turn cheetah, but I can't move that fast," Beast Boy said.

"Slade's gone. I can't see him anywhere," Raven said, descending to join the group.

"Why did Slade say that our time is short but growing?" Starfire asked.

"Just ignore him," Robin growled. "He's trying to confuse or scare us. Focus on the Brain."

"I thought we'd be the ones telling you that," Beast Boy said.

Robin sighed off Beast Boy's words, looking at the destroyed prison around them. "Whatever the Brain is planning, we've got to stop him before it's too late."

"But the Brain is gone," Starfire said.

"Should we start searching?" Raven asked.

"You know what?" Robin said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he realized that they'd just

failed three times that day to apprehend a villain. "I think we'll call it a night. We've been searching since dawn, and it's now nightfall. They've got that plane, and all we've got is a lead of dead ends. Until we've got more to go on or know where the Brain's headquarters are, it'd be another useless search."

"Thank goodness!" Beast Boy said, falling flat on his back. "I finally get a chance to rest!"

"Yeah," Robin said, pocketing his bow staff and glaring at the spot Slade had stood only minutes before.

"Who's up for pizza?" Cyborg asked.

"Do we eat anything else?" Raven asked.

Robin grinned. Pizza would calm his nerves. "Titans, go!"

Faster than their response to crime was their race to their favorite Jump City pizza joint. Within minutes, they were seated at a table and had ordered three different pizzas. The pizzas had arrived, and the time to dine was here.

"Oh, yeah!" Cyborg said, picking up half the pizza at once and shoving it into his mouth. "Mega meat, baby!"

"Veggie pizza is the best pizza on earth," Beast Boy said.

Raven took a slice of pepperoni while Starfire casually drank her signature drink of mustard. Robin took a slice of pizza as well, but he set it on the plate in front of him and didn't eat. What was the Brain planning? Why did he steal the fusion reactor from the technological facility? Why had they kidnapped Jinx, Mammoth, Seemore, Billy Numerous, and Gizmo from the H.I.V.E Academy? And what about Overload? Why had Overload been the only one they'd broken out of prison?

And what about Slade? Robin's fists clenched at the thought of the man. What did he have to do with this? Why did Slade alert him to Madame Rouge's presence when they were in the alley? Why did he warn the five of them at the prison that their time was running short? Robin didn't believe that Slade would, even for a second, work for or alongside the Brain, but then what were his motives for showing so much interest in the Titans' work? Why did he seem to care? Maybe not care, but show any interest whatsoever?

"Thinking about how to take the Brain down?" Cyborg asked.

Robin looked up with a blink. He nodded.

"Come on, Robin," Beast Boy said, nudging him. "We all know that freaky look in your eye.

You're thinking about Slade."

Robin sighed, then shrugged. "I just don't know why he's so interested in what we're doing. He's never done anything like this before."

"I just wonder if he really did know what the Brain was planning," Starfire said.

At this, Robin laughed. "He's lied before. He's practically got a reputation for it," he snarled. "This is just another one of his tricks. Another one of his lies."

"I don't think so," Raven said. "I sensed nothing during our conversation."

Robin laughed again. "Sorry, Raven, but you don't know Slade like I do. I was his apprentice, remember? He's lying; count on it. Or if he's not, he's at least up to something."

"Shouldn't we be focusing on the Brain?" Cyborg asked. "He's the one who's been breaking into, and out of, at least a dozen places. That, and he kidnapped five other villains and broke a sixth out of prison. All Slade's done was talk to us."

"I'll take a thousand Brains over one Slade any day," Robin growled.

Raven took another bite of pizza. "Well, he said that we don't have much time. Maybe—"

"I don't care about Slade!" Robin shouted, startling everyone at the table. "He's a criminal

and a madman! Why should we trust him? Why should we trust anything he says?"

"We're not trusting him, Robin," Cyborg said, lowering his voice. "We're just saying that he

knows more than we do."

"Well it's not like he's going to tell us anything!" Robin shot back. "He just loves confusing us and keeping us in the dark, even when it's not his own plan!"

The Titans, knowing Robin was right this time, fell into an awkward silence.

"So, friends, what have you all done with the free time you have had?" Starfire asked after a minute. "Have you done anything of the wonderful sort?"

"I added a sweet new gadget to the T-car," Cyborg said. "Now it's got a laser on the hood."

"I beat up some video game bad guys and got the highest high score of all time," Beast Boy said, smirking and putting his feet up on the table.

"I read spells," Raven said, using her powers to remove Beast Boy's feet from the table.

"And I made a wonderful Tamaranian foodstuff!" Starfire said in glee. "Oh, Robin, what spectacular things did you do with the free time you—"

"Look," Robin said, standing up. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I should get back to the Tower. We should all get some sleep in case the Brain decides to strike soon, and I want to be rested for when that happens."

"Robin, we were not trying to make you feel bad," Starfire said, reaching out to him.

Robin dodged Starfire's hand. "I'm going back to the Tower," he repeated. "You guys can stay here and finish the pizza if you want."

"We can take it home," Cyborg said, standing up.

Robin shrugged. He hadn't really wanted the Titans to return to the Tower just yet, but he knew that he could find solace in either his own room, his crime room, or the training room. "Sure."

After packing up the pizza, the Titans returned to the Tower. Beast Boy and Cyborg began playing video games, Starfire went to check on Silkie, and Raven retired to her room. Robin followed Raven's suit and spent the remainder of the evening in his crime room. He leaned against the room's center table as he tossed one of his gadgets into the air. Turning to his computer, he accessed the Brain's file and tried to cross reference the facilities the Brain had already hit in an attempt to figure out what his next move was. After several failed attempts, Robin was about to shut the computer when he saw Slade's file on the screen. Instantly, he opened it, seeing nothing on the man's movements within the last three months. His jaw tensed as he closed the file, turning away with a snort. He knew it all, anyway.

Sighing, Robin turned to the table and picked up one of his gadgets that he had used during his days as Red X. "What's the Brain's plan?" Setting down his Red X gadget, he picked up one of his apprentice gadgets and stared at the " _S_ "imprinted on it. "And what's your plan?" he muttered. He tossed the gadget and stuck it into the wall in front of him, closing his eyes in frustration.

Maybe three months really was too long for Slade to be gone. Maybe this time, the madman was planning something deadly. Right as Robin began to yawn, the door opened. Surprised, he turned to see Starfire standing in the doorway.

"Robin, friend, what are you doing?"

Robin scratched his neck and turned away from his apprentice gadgets that lay in front of him. "I just finished cross-checking all of the Brain's recent hits to try to figure out his next move."

Starfire glanced at Slade's weapons that lay on the table, and her eyes shown in worry. "Are

you sure that is all of the checking you were doing?"

Robin turned away. "You should be in bed, Star."

"As you should be, Robin," Starfire said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Robin, knowing how persistent that Starfire could be, turned to face her and nodded. "All right. Goodnight, Star."

Starfire glowed with happiness. "Oh, goodnight, friend Robin!"

Starfire left, and the door shut. Robin spent the next ten minutes cleaning up before he finally went to bed. Sleep would be good, and considering that it was possible, as Slade said it, that their time to figure out the Brain's plan was growing short, Robin would need his rest. Spending the entire day searching Jump City had exhausted Robin more than he'd expected. He fell asleep the instant his body hit the bed.


	5. Initiating Contact?

"Robin, you want some waffles?"

Robin had barely entered the Tower living room the before the traditional wave of sound crashed over him. Seeing the Titans eating breakfast, Robin shook his head to answer Beast Boy's question and grabbed cereal instead, sitting down next to Starfire. Everything was as it should be. Cyborg had at least three pounds of bacon on his plate; Beast Boy consumed tofu waffles; Starfire ate more of the Blorgspotch she'd prepared the week before, and Raven sipped her tea. "Anything to report?" he asked, taking a bite of his cereal.

"Nothing yet," Raven said.

"Haven't heard anything," Beast Boy said.

Robin sighed. "Then it's just more waiting." When there was no response to his statement and none of the usual banter that he was used to, Robin looked up to see the rest of the team silently watching him. "What is it?"

"Well, dude, since we haven't had any luck with the Brain," Beast Boy began, "Maybe we could . . ."

Robin blinked, not understanding. "What?"

"Do you think it would be possible to contact Slade and see if he has any information?" Starfire asked.

Robin dropped his spoon. "What did you say?" he asked quietly.

"Man, you said it yourself," Cyborg said. "We're in the dark here. If there really is something huge about to go down, don't you think it might be a good idea to—"

"I'll let Jump City get _leveled_ before I even think about getting his help," Robin snarled in a

hushed tone.

"We don't know what we're doing," Raven said. "Slade knows something."

"No," Robin said firmly. "No. _NO_!"

"Okay, okay," Beast Boy said. "We got it. But remember, we did get his help when Raven was in trouble and—"

"That was different," Robin said, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Just drop it."

"Drop what?" Starfire asked. "My plate?"

No one answered her, and their breakfast was finished in silence.

"Do you think the Brain's going to strike today?" Cyborg asked once the dishes were placed in the sink to be washed at some later point in the year.

Robin shrugged, not feeling like talking after their recent conversation.

"Chill out, dude! It's _Ultimate Battle Ninja_ time!" Beast Boy said, turning into a dog, running over to Raven, and licking her face in excitement.

"Gross," Raven said.

"So, are you guys ready to watch the awesomest movie ever?" Beast Boy asked, ushering everyone into the living room and onto the couch.

Just then, a crime alert went off at the Tower. Robin's head shot up, and he accessed the database system. "It's the Brain again, guys."

"Really?" Beast Boy complained. "We were just about to watch a movie! Can't the Brain's crime wait?"

"What's the crime this time?" Raven asked.

Robin's eyes scanned the report. "The Brain has been spotted siphoning power from a main power hub in the center of the city."

"Hopefully this time we'll be able to take him down," Cyborg said, already changing his arm into a blaster cannon.

Robin blinked as he raced toward the Tower's doors. A twinge of worry flooded his system as he remembered Slade's words about their time growing short. Shaking off the feeling, Robin pointed toward Jump City. "Titans, go!"

When they arrived at their location, the Titans found the Brain, Madame Rouge, and Monsieur Mallah standing on top of a building. Jinx, Billy Numerous, Gizmo, Mammoth, Seemore, and Overload were detained beside them, unable to escape or use their powers. The trio had hooked up several large cables to Jump City's power hub and were draining its energy to power a small upright mechanism that had a red button on top. Robin instantly recognized the device as the core fusion reactor, but why were they powering such a weak, useless device? Why were the students of the H.I.V.E. plus Overload all detained and seemingly kidnapped? What was going on?

"Hello, Titans," the Brain said.

"Hello yourself, you bodiless freak," Beast Boy said.

"What did you kidnap the H.I.V.E. for?" Cyborg asked. "Why'd you break Overload out of prison but no one else?"

"Overload is the most powerful of the three," the Brain said. "As for the rest, they all have unique talents and abilities."

"And all you can do is talk and talk," Beast Boy shot back.

"What are you planning with that core fusion reactor?" Cyborg asked.

"Vee plan is in place," Madame Rouge said with a laugh. "Soon, you Titans vill be

exterminated!"

"You can't kill us!" Beast Boy shouted up at them. "We're like cockroaches! We never die!"

If the Brain could smile, Robin could've sworn that he just had.

"See, Titans, the power of one," the Brain said.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

Before any of the Titans could move, Mallah pressed the red button on the fusion reactor. Robin heard the H.I.V.E. students let out screams of pain, and he himself was horrified to see that their bodies, their very beings, were being drawn together along with Overload, the Brain, Mallah, and Rouge . . .

"Oh, no," Starfire said.

"This is bad," Raven said.

"Man," Cyborg muttered, closing his eyes briefly in despair. "Slade was right."

Robin gasped as his eyes widened. "That's what Slade meant," he whispered.

Light flooded the clearing as the fusion completed itself. When Robin looked up, he was

surprised to see that before them stood the figure of a man. This man possessed a shirt of both deep green and black, along with black pants that had red stripes traveling down the front and white stripes on the back. He had gorilla hair on his arms and hair on his head that was mainly pink but had shocks of both orange and black. But the scariest was his face. Robin had expected something grotesque, so he was shocked when he saw his face was that of a little boy. Younger than even Gizmo, with fiery eyes and a deadly disposition. He looked down at the Titans and released a high laugh of lunacy, then grinned.

"My name is Malchus," the being said. "And I will _rule_!" Malchus raised a fist, and right before contact was made with the roof of the building, Robin saw electricity flash around Malchus the moment before the hit struck. Barely did Robin have time to blink before electricity coursed through his body, bringing himself and the rest of the Titans to their knees.

"H-he's too strong," Cyborg groaned as he pulled himself up.

"Are you weakening already?" Malchus asked. "I've only begun." Robin looked up, seeing a pink wave hurdling toward them. Robin and the Titans dodged, but the pink wave struck the building next to them and began to fall on top of the Titans. Cyborg blasted the building and prevented it from toppling over them, but in the next instant Robin saw Malchus's arm stretch to an inhuman length as he caught Starfire around the leg, tossing her into another building.

"Starfire!" Robin shouted. He turned back to Malchus, then let out a, "Titans, go!"

But they didn't get very far. Instantly, ten copies of Malchus surrounded them, courtesy of Billy Numerous, and they all raised their fists in unison before recombining into a single being and delivering an earth-shattering punch to the concrete that sent all the Titans flying. As he was tossed through the air, Robin threw several bombs at Malchus, but Malchus's arm lengthened again and he deflected the bombs with a sweep of his hand. Next up was Starfire, and she fired several starbolts at Malchus, trying vainly to hit him. But Malchus seemed to change into Mallah at that instant, and he began dodging the attacks with movements that only an animal could pull off. Beast Boy turned gorilla and fought with him for a moment, but a hex from Jinx threw Beast Boy backwards.

"Azarath Metrion—"

"No!" Malchus raced forward and shot an electrical wave toward Raven, shocking her badly and stifling her incantation.

Robin looked around, seeing the destruction and the Titans' imminent defeat. He knew that they had to retreat. "Titans!" he yelled. "Fall back!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Beast Boy groaned, getting to his feet and running toward

the Tower.

"You fools! Do you really think I'll let you leave?" Malchus asked. Suddenly, fifty copies of Malchus surrounded the Titans, pinning them in, and Robin only saw a flash of electricity around Malchus's real form before he combined back into one being and released a flow of electricity that knocked all of the Titans unconscious.


	6. Unusual Assistance

Robin groaned as he awoke, leaping to his feet and looking around. The Titans were in some sort of warehouse. Numerous boxes lined the walls, and the garage door to the outside was open and inviting. After blinking once and seeing that Malchus stood in front of the door to freedom, Robin stepped forward to confront Malchus. Suddenly, his face smacked into an invisible wall. Once he reached up and felt the wall, he realized that he was entrapped inside a bubble. A floating bubble, actually. Looking over, Robin saw that the rest of the Titans were trapped in identical prisons. They were just waking up as well, and they seemed to realize their capture at just about the same time. "What is this?" Robin asked, slamming his fist on the bubble that

wouldn't yield.

"Courtesy of Seemore," Malchus said. "That prison you're in is impenetrable."

"Says you," Robin muttered, throwing a bomb at the wall of the bubble. Realizing his mistake too late, Robin barely had time to shield himself with his cape before the explosion detonated, throwing him against the side of the bubble, which felt more like a brick wall, and nearly knocking him unconscious. Beside him, the Titans were each using their own powers in an attempt to break out of their prisons with no avail.

"As I said, your prisons are impenetrable," Malchus repeated with a grin. "You make impressive prizes."

"We're not toys!" Beast Boy snarled, changing into a blue whale and nearly breaking his back in the process since the bubble refused to stretch. Even Raven's Azarathian powers were unable to penetrate the prison she was in. Starfire was busy exhausting herself throwing starbolts, and Cyborg's sonic cannon had no effect, either.

"If you're quite done amusing me, I'm going to continue my plan for world domination," Malchus said. "And I'm going to start with Jump City." Saying this, he walked out of the room.

"Yeah, you . . . do that!" Beast Boy shouted after him. "We'll stop you!" Beast Boy turned to Robin. "So, Robin, what's the plan?"

Robin sighed and sat down, already done using every weapon in his arsenal in an attempt to break free from the prison he was in. He shook his head. "I don't know, team."

Starfire gasped. "Will we be stuck here forever?"

"Probably not forever, Star," Robin said with a halfway grin. "We'll think of something."

"But probably for a _really_ long time," Beast Boy muttered, receiving a glare from both Raven and Cyborg.

"I scanned these prisons," Cyborg said from beside Robin. "They're organic, but really strong. I just don't understand why we can't break out of them."

The five Titans sat in their prisons for the next three hours, throwing ideas back and forth on how to get out while simultaneously testing each idea. All of them, however, failed.

"Man, I'm hungry," Beast Boy complained, feebly punching the bubble he was still trapped in. "Are we ever gonna get out?"

Raven, meditating for the fifty-fifth time, returned to her feet and shook her head. "I can't break free. I don't think it's possible."

"It's _not_ possible," Cyborg said with a sigh. "I think we're going to be here forever."

"There has to be a way!" Robin said.

"What way?" Cyborg shot back. "Man, we've tried everything we could think of! We even tried everything we couldn't think of! Because I'm pretty sure that shouting at the wall or licking it isn't going to do anything!"

"Are we supposed to give up?" Robin asked. "Give in just like that?"

"Until there's either a miracle or someone thinks up an idea that my systems haven't already come up with, we're stuck here," Cyborg said.

"Oh, so now you're blaming me?" Robin shot back. "Me? The leader?"

"No, I'm not blaming you!" Cyborg said. "Look, I'm all for hoping for the best, but when there aren't any options left, maybe it's time we consider something crazy."  
"Like what? Something more crazy than Beast Boy turning into a dog and licking the prison?" Robin asked.

"Well, I can think of one. Have you ever thought about—" Cyborg's comment was cut

short as Malchus returned. Everyone quickly sat down in their prisons, pretending as if nothing

had happened.

"I can see none of you have succeeded in breaking free from your prisons," Malchus said. "Since you're all being so obedient and staying quiet, I brought you a present."

"What is it?" Beast Boy asked with a growl. "Your head on a stick?"

"I think you'll recognize this," Malchus said, bringing the bubble of another new prisoner into view for the Titans to see. They all gasped.

"Slade," Robin said.

Slade stood inside his prison, arms behind his back and not at all looking worried that he'd been caught inside an impenetrable prison.

"We fought, but of course, I won," Malchus said with a grin. "No one can take me down."

"On the contrary. You will be defeated soon enough," Slade said coolly.

"Shut up!" Malchus snarled, punching the bubble so that it flew across the room and slammed into a wall. Though Robin hadn't really noticed, it was quite a feat as to how Slade had remained upright during this entire skirmish. Malchus exhaled, composed himself, smirked again, then pushed the bubble over so that it was next to Robin. "Now I have six trophies. Soon, I'll have hundreds." After he said this, Malchus nodded in satisfaction and left the room to conquer more of Jump City.

"So it looks like you're caught, too," Cyborg said.

"Malchus is quite strong," Starfire said.

"And you called me unaware?" Robin asked with a snort. "You're the one who's captured!"

Slade's single eye flashed over to Robin. "On the contrary, Robin. How do you know that this capture was not intentional?"

Robin blinked, as did the rest of the Titans. "You're joking."

"Am I?"

"If you could break out, why are you in here?" Raven asked.

"Until now, the proper moment has not presented itself," Slade said.

"But dude, you couldn't take Malchus down," Beast Boy said in a slightly mocking tone.

"And yet, the five of you are also imprisoned," Slade said. Beast Boy blushed.

"Fine," Robin said, rolling his eyes. "If you really can break out, why don't you do it? Right, I forgot. That's not possible. If we can't do it, there's no way you'd be able to —"

"All right."

Robin couldn't help watching every one of Slade's movements as he pressed a hand to the

bubble he was in. Slade closed his single eye and waited, and Robin was about to call his bluff

when Beast Boy's head shot up.

"Do you guys hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Raven asked.

In that instant, the bubble holding Slade shattered. Slade dropped to the floor, brushed himself off, and began walking away from the Titans.

Robin couldn't help staring in utter shock. Here the Titans had been trying for the last _three_ _hours_ to break free from their prisons, and Slade had accomplished this seemingly-impossible feat in under a minute. "What?!" Robin asked. "I . . . how—"

Slade paused and glanced over his shoulder. "It seems that the Titans are in a dilemma. I am free, and you are . . . compromised."

It was hardly something that Robin could comprehend. The five Titans stood in front of

Slade, imprisoned, while he walked past them a free man. How had he broken free? What

technique had he used that the Titans hadn't thought of?

"How'd you do it, man?" Cyborg asked.

"Could you give us the information?" Starfire asked.

"We've been trying forever!" Beast Boy complained. "Could—"

Robin blinked once his mind came back to the conversation and he realized what the Titans were doing. "Shut up!" Robin snarled to his team. "We don't need his help!"

"Then I will take my leave," Slade said casually, walking away from the Titans.

"Robin!" Raven snapped.

"Really?" Cyborg asked.

"Come on, dude!" Beast Boy urged, banging once on his prison bubble for good measure. "We can't get out!"

"These prisons are all but unbreakable," Starfire said. "Robin, if you would just—"

"Never," Robin hissed. He would rather die here, imprisoned by Malchus, then even think to ask Slade for any sort of help. He was a villain! He was their enemy! And yet he was free and they were imprisoned. Go figure.

The rest of the Titans were silent for a few moments, then, in tandem, they started shouting towards Slade.

"Tell us how you escaped!" Starfire said.

"Or just let us out yourself," Raven said. "We saw you do it once; you can do it again."

"Break us out so we can stop Malchus," Beast Boy said. "If we don't stop him soon, he'll take over the world. He'll destroy us all, including you." He pointed at Slade, who didn't blink.

"I have come back from death," Slade said, balling his hand into a fist. "Malchus neither worries nor concerns me."

"Malchus worries us. Just let us out or tell us how," Cyborg said. "We haven't been able to break out, and we've been trying for the last three hours."

"What do you say, Robin?" Slade asked. "What is your opinion?"

Robin growled low in his throat. "I think you—" Robin paused as he looked over at the rest of his team. He knew why they were asking for Slade's help. They had just been massacred by Malchus. They were beat, their confidence was low, and to top it all off they were imprisoned inside impenetrable bubbles that yielded to nothing, not even Azarathian power, starbolts, or cannon fire. He turned to Slade, his face resolute. Maybe, just this once . . . "Let us out, Slade."

Slade approached Robin's prison, calculatingly staring up at him. Then Slade reached out and pressed his hand against the outside of Robin's bubble, and Robin saw what looked like a small bomb there. Slade walked to each of the Titans in turn and placed identical bombs on their bubbles, then pressed something on his wrist and activated the bombs. Robin watched, confused as to why his own bombs hadn't worked, then jumped in panic when the floor underneath their prisons and the surrounding walls began to fold in on themselves as though disintegrating. Their own prisons shattered moments later, and Raven used her powers to catch everyone and prevent them from falling into the abyss that Slade's technology had made. They quickly fled and stood outside where the ground was solid.

"What was that?" Robin asked. "Why did everything in the warehouse start going crazy?"

"A small amount of gratitude would suffice," Slade said, turning away from Robin.

"You're not getting anything from me or my team," Robin growled, contemplating telling the Titans to attack Slade for no real reason whatsoever. He didn't really care that Slade had just rescued them from their prisons, but Robin decided against attacking Slade nonetheless. They

needed their strength to take down Malchus first. Then they could beat the tar out of Slade.

"Then I will leave you to your battle," Slade said, turning away and walking into the fog that

crept over the pavement.

"Why are you helping us?" Robin demanded, rushing over to Slade and cutting off his pathway of escape. "You've never done this before. What's your plan?"

At this, Slade merely chuckled. "My reasons are my own, Robin."

Robin frowned at this comment but allowed Slade to pass just this once without a fight. "I'll find out what you're planning, Slade!"

Slade said nothing more before he disappeared into the fog.

Robin sighed and turned back to his team. "First we'll go back to the Tower. Then we'll rest up and try defeating Malchus again tomorrow."

The Titans swapped looks of concern but nodded nonetheless. Robin ignored it and led the way back to the Tower.

"Are there any gadgets we could get or create that would help us in our fight against Malchus?" Robin asked Cyborg as they entered the Tower several minutes later.

Cyborg shrugged. "Most of them are for me, and I'm pretty updated. Everything we have is pretty updated. So, no, not much. I mean, sure, there's some here and there, but they'd make us too slow, and we can't have even an ounce of extra weight when battling Malchus."

Robin nodded. "My gadgets can't get any better, so—"

"Who's up for watching _Ultimate Battle Ninja_?" Beast Boy asked, sitting down on the couch and turning on the television. "We didn't finish it this morning."

"We're about to face Malchus tomorrow, and you want to watch a movie?" Raven asked.

"Raven's right," Robin said, crossing the room and grabbing a water bottle from the kitchen so that he could go train. "We need to prepare. We need to be ready."

"And what better way to prepare for something really crazy and scary than by relaxing?" Beast Boy asked, flipping onto his stomach and looking over the sofa at them all. "Think about it. You all want to spend the entire night stressing about tomorrow and be on your _F_ game when we fight? Or do you want to chill out, watch a movie, eat some pizza, relax, and be ready to go in the morning?"

Robin blinked. In all his time as leader of the Titans, he'd never heard Beast Boy give a better argument. He looked at Cyborg, then Starfire, and finally, at Raven. Sighing, Robin shrugged. " _Ultimate Battle Ninja_ it is," Robin said.

"I will get the pop of corn!" Starfire said gleefully, racing to the kitchen.

The five watched Beast Boy's movie, passing around popcorn, comments, and laughs. The

movie was over too soon, however, and very quickly did Robin find himself in his room, alone with his thoughts. Was it actually possible to stop Malchus? Was he too strong? Could they beat him by themselves, or would they have to ask for help? Even with help, was Malchus able to be stopped, or would he take over first Jump City then the world?

And what about Slade? In all his time fighting Slade, it was uncharacteristic to think that Slade actually wanted to help them for once. He had to have some ulterior motive. Why had he freed them from their prisons? Had he let them go just because they'd asked, or were they fulfilling a plan of his that they didn't even know was happening? Did Slade have a vendetta against Malchus, and they were taking Malchus down for him? Were they unconsciously doing his bidding for him? Being his apprentices, of sorts, without their knowledge?

Robin turned over in his bed and yawned, wondering if the rest of the Titans were having as much trouble sleeping as he did. Closing his eyes and knowing that an unrested leader was just about as bad as no leader at all, Robin tried counting sheep to fall asleep. Despite his methods, it still took him another hour until he drifted off to dreamland.


	7. Against His Will

Robin felt a bit guilty for waking up late the next morning, but he was put at ease when he entered the Tower living room and saw that everyone was just finishing up breakfast.

"So," Beast Boy asked as he covered his tofu waffles with half a gallon of maple syrup, "when's D-Day?"

Robin snorted as he poured his cereal. "Eight o'clock," he said. "We didn't have the advantage yesterday since it was broad daylight, and I'm banking on the fact that we'll have a bit more luck on our side when it's dark."

"So that means we've got twelve more hours to live," Beast Boy said.

Robin nodded, finishing his cereal at lightning speed so that he could brief the Titans on his plan. "This time, we're going to hit him in waves. Make sure your communicators are on, because we're going to rely heavily on them in this battle. Maybe if we can surprise Malchus, and continue to surprise him, we just might pull this off."

"Sounds like you were up last night thinking," Raven said.

"Looks like it, too," Cyborg said.

Robin shrugged, then grinned for good measure so that the Titans didn't worry. "All right, here's the plan . . ."

Several hours later, everything was in place. After locating Malchus, which was incredibly easy to do since he felt no need to conceal himself, the Titans had set up their plan. Robin could see Cyborg hiding behind a nearby building, Raven sat on the rooftop of another, Starfire was high above him, and Beast Boy flew toward Malchus to start the signal. Robin, sitting on his motorcycle, tapped his foot and waited.

It was eight o'clock. The time was now.

Suddenly, in the distance, Robin heard the song of a whale and the following lurch of the earth. The battle began. Turning on his motorcycle, Robin sped toward Malchus. Just as Beast Boy turned into a hummingbird to dart away from Malchus, Robin leapt off his motorbike and allowed his bike to crash into Malchus, landing behind Malchus and whispering a word of, "go!" into the communicator before fleeing into the shadows. Robin raced to get to his next location, using a grappling hook to gain access to a rooftop, but he was aware of Starfire's starbolts lighting up the sky behind him. Malchus was furious now, and he heard Starfire get hit. Robin, almost able to feel her pain, pushed away the thought of a teammate injured. They had a plan.

Next was Raven, who brought with her a large vat of gasoline followed by a single match that

set Malchus aflame. Malchus shot out a bolt of electricity that felled Raven, but he saw that she

was able to retreat to the distance specified, waiting for the next signal.

Malchus, using a punch from Mammoth to cover himself in earth and free his body from the raging flames, looked up to where Robin stood and narrowed his eyes. "How are you communicating?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Robin said. Suddenly, Robin saw Rouge's hands off to his left, but, too focused on Malchus's words, he wasn't able to dodge her grip. He was picked up off the roof and slammed to street below, and his communicator was flung from his hands. Malchus's eyes widened in understanding as he saw the communicator on the ground. "So it's a communicator, is it?" For the first time, Robin saw Gizmo's expertise show inside Malchus. From somewhere on his back, Malchus pulled out what looked to be a video game controller. Robin grabbed his communicator and tried to communicate with the rest of the team, but Robin now found that his communicator signal was jammed. He tested all the channels, but none of

them were working.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted from above him. "The communicator is not working!"

"Try communicating without a communicator," Malchus laughed, shooting a hex that caused a nearby skyscraper to fall on Starfire.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Robin had hoped that they might stand a chance. He'd even considered the fact that Malchus's first victory was a fluke due to their surprise. But it was not meant to be. Just as before, it was a massacre, only worse this time due to Malchus's rage at the Titans' surprise attack. The five Titans were practically on the brink of death before Malchus looked down at them, scoffing.

"I will keep you alive as a reminder to anyone who would oppose me," Malchus said. "Spread the word, Titans. Tell the world of my power and strength."

Only after Malchus was long gone did Robin dare to sit up and rub his head. He blinked several times, clearing his hazy vision, then looked over at the rest of the team.

"It was going so well, too," Cyborg said.

"Then our communicators got jammed," Raven said, sitting up.

"We have been defeated again," Starfire said.

"I wonder if it's even worth it," Beast Boy muttered. "He seems invincible."

Gritting his teeth, Robin glanced at his communicator before turning to Cyborg. "How long to fix these?"

Cyborg shook his head. "Too long. Gizmo . . . Malchus did a great job jamming both the signals and the inner electronics. These are duds now. Making five brand new ones, that don't run on any of these wavelengths that Malchus's permanently jammed, would take too long."

"Then we've got to try again," Robin said, groaning as he got to his feet. "You all know we can't give up."

"You think we could just get some—" Beast Boy began.

"I'll come up with another plan," Robin said, interrupting Beast Boy's words. "Eventually, we'll hit the jackpot and take Malchus down."

"Hopefully," Beast Boy muttered.

TT TT TT TT

Robin sat up, almost ready to admit defeat. Since their communicators had been jammed seven weeks previously, the Titans had had two dozen more fights with Malchus, all ending in their defeat. Robin slammed his fist on the concrete as he watched his comrades wake up from their unconscious states. Just like with the prisons they'd been in, the Titans had tried everything. From underground attacks to aerial acing, they'd tried it all. In a way, Robin felt as though he'd let his team down. He was their leader, and he was failing them. How many times could they be defeated by Malchus before Malchus grew tired and decided to end them? Would they ever be able to take Malchus down, or would they be destined to watch as first Jump City, then the entire world was taken over as they vainly tried to defeat a villain that couldn't be stopped?

Within the last seven weeks, the Titans' morale had been shot. Malchus wasn't a villain, he was a multitude, a perfect being who seemed to have no weakness, either mental or physical. How could they defeat someone so powerful and brilliant? They'd tried everything.

Robin blinked as another thought came to him. Would they have to ask for help? They, the Titans? The heroes of Jump City, not only requesting, but actually needing the assistance of another? Would it really come to that?

"I feel like I got hit by a Malchus," Beast Boy groaned, rubbing a sizeable lump on his head.

"The pain reminds me of the methods we use on Tamaran to extract information," Starfire said, her eyes glazed with pain.

"But worse than that," Raven said, sitting up.

Cyborg sat up as well, and Robin felt that Cyborg was looking at him. He glanced in Cyborg's direction, and when he saw Cyborg's expression, he turned away and toward the Tower, standing up. "All right, Titans," Robin said. "Let—"

"Robin," Cyborg said, interrupting him.

Robin merely continued. "Let's get back to the Tower—"

"Robin, we need to do something," Cyborg said.

Robin, sighing, turned to Cyborg. "What do you suppose we do, then?" he asked. "We've tried every single trick in the book! What now?"

"You know what's next," Cyborg said.

Robin blinked, not understanding. He was about to ask Cyborg what he meant when saw something in Cyborg's hand that he hadn't noticed before. Recognizing the object instantly, realization crashed over Robin like a punch from Starfire. He knew what Cyborg was hinting at. Robin was already shaking his head long before his mouth said the word. "No."

"Man, what other choice do we have?" Cyborg asked, pocketing the object.

"No," Robin repeated. "No, way."

"Twenty-four times we've been beat by Malchus," Cyborg said. "You want to go for another two dozen?"

"I said no," Robin repeated. "There's no way I'm—"

"Dude, Cy's right," Beast Boy said.

"Don't you start," Robin warned.

"What other options are there?" Raven asked.

Robin, feeling as though he were being pushed into a corner or suffocated, turned to Starfire for one last hopeful vote.

"Robin," Starfire said, clasping one arm by the elbow with her other hand, "I think it would be best if you—"

"I said, no!" Robin yelled. "I can't! I won't ask for _his_ help!"

"All right, then who do you suppose we get?" Cyborg asked.

"Aqualad," Robin said.

"He works best in water," Cyborg said.

"Bumblebee," Robin said.

"Her electrical powers wouldn't be very effective against Malchus because of Overload,"

Cyborg said.

"Trigon, then!" Robin snarled. "I'd rather work with Trigon than—"

"Robin, just give it up!" Cyborg said. "There's no one else we could ask who would help us as much as he would!"

"I can think of plenty of other people!" Robin shot back.

"Okay, here's another question: who's as smart as him?" Cyborg asked.

"Gizmo," Robin answered instantly. "Red X."

Cyborg laughed at this. "Come on, Robin. Gizmo? That Red X idiot? Who's _really_ even half as smart and cunning as he is?"

Robin opened his mouth, then closed it. He did this three more times before he considered. If he really thought about it, the Titans were right; the man was the smartest person he knew. Though he hated to admit it, no one else even came close . . .

"I thought you'd say that," Cyborg said. "Now will you please—"

" _No_!" Robin screamed. "I won't!"

"Robin!" Raven snapped. "We've been defeated by Malchus twenty-four times. We can't

defeat him on our own. Do you just want to keep battling him in the small hope that we'll be able to do it by ourselves?"

"We've managed before," Robin muttered.

"I'm with Raven and Cy," Beast Boy said. "I don't really like the idea either, but if it'll work, I'm all for it."

"I'm the leader," Robin said with a growl, desperate now to assert his authority. "What I say, goes!"

"But that doesn't give you the right to put your own feelings above the team," Cyborg said. "If this will work, you have to do it, emotions aside."

"Cyborg's right," Raven said. "If we have a better chance at victory with him, then we need to get his help."

Robin could feel that he was losing the battle. Everything they were saying was completely right. But how could he, as Robin, even think of asking —

"Robin, would it not be a good idea to ask him for help?" Starfire asked.

Robin sighed and relaxed his clenched fists. What the Titans said made complete sense. No matter what he felt or how much he didn't want to do it, the team was more important. And he couldn't think of anything better at the moment. "Fine!" Robin yelled, letting his arms fall to his sides in defeat. "All right. You win."


	8. Requesting Help

"Good," Cyborg said, standing up, walking over to Robin, and placing the object in his hand. "Let's get back to the Tower and contact him."

"It will be for the best," Starfire said, smiling at him.

Robin shrugged Starfire off and pocketed the object. He sulked all the way back to the Tower, but a glimmer of hope lit inside him as they entered the Tower living room. "Wait, Cyborg, we can't contact him!"

Cyborg folded his arms. "Why not?"

"We don't know where his lair is," Robin began, ticking off each reason on a fingertip. "We don't know how to contact him; he always contacts us, and to top it all off, our communicators don't even work. If we search for him, we'll probably come up empty or run into Malchus." Robin blinked and looked up at Cyborg hopefully, holding back a leap of glee when he saw that Cyborg's expression was hesitant.

"I know how to contact him," Raven said, bringing Robin's world crashing down upon him.

"Gonna use your Azarath powers?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven shook her head, then pointed at Robin. "You still have his communicator, Robin."

Robin blinked for a moment, then ground his teeth as he remembered that he did, indeed, possess a communicator from —

"What are you waiting for?" Raven asked, glancing toward the hallway door.

With a sigh, Robin made his way to the crime room, and he was a bit irritated when the rest of the team filed in behind him. "I can do this myself."

"Oh, no, you don't," Cyborg said. "We want to make sure that you actually go through with this."

Not being able to counter Cyborg's statement, Robin dug into his pocket, set Slade's weapon on the table, and picked up the communicator, pausing. "What if it's the same frequency as our busted communicators? What if it doesn't work?"

"Won't know until you try," Beast Boy said.

Sighing again, Robin held the earpiece to the side of his face so the rest of the Titans could hear the conversation. Something deep within him was resisting this action, and it took all his effort to press the earpiece and speak directly into it. "Hello?" In the back of Robin's mind, he hoped that he would get no response. Then, that way, he could avoid any contact or —

"Hello, Robin," came the response after several moments. "What event forced you to use such unconventional means of communication?"

Robin gritted his teeth, spitting his reply into the communicator. "Let's talk."

" . . . I decline."

Robin blinked, then looked over at his teammates who were practically glaring death threats at him. He reversed his previous statement as best he could. "We — me and the Titans — we need to talk to you." They all waited for the reply. What if he didn't reply? Robin felt an equal mixture of fear and hope toward the thought of his lack of response.

"I will be at pier six at twenty-one hundred hours. Do not be late." The transmission cut out after that, and Robin clenched his fists and threw the communicator down on the table.

"There," Robin muttered. "Happy?"

Raven phased through the wall, not even using the door.

"Just try not to mess it up like that when we meet him tonight," Cyborg said.

"Yeah," Beast Boy added, "because we're the ones asking _him_ for help."  
"Don't remind me," Robin muttered. Starfire reached out to give him moral support, but he shrugged her off. "I'm going to train."

TT TT TT TT

Too soon, far too soon for Robin's liking, he and the rest of the team stood on pier six, waiting for the arrival of someone Robin didn't even like to see from the distance, much less work alongside of.

"It's eight fifty-five," Beast Boy said, dangling his legs over the edge of the pier as they waited. "Is he even going to show up?"

"He'll be here," Robin said, staring into the fog.

"Are you certain?" Starfire asked. "Raven has not sensed anything yet."

"Don't worry," Robin said. "He'll be here." He squinted into the fog, breathing in to steel his nerves. Was the man really going to show up? Or was he just manipulating them into —

"So we meet again."

Robin turned and saw Slade walking toward them, and it took all of his concentration to not fall into a fighting stance or pull out his bow staff. For several moments, the Titans stared at Slade, and Slade watched them. Finally, Slade spoke again.

"Unlike the unlimited free time of a teenager," Slade said, "I have pressing matters to attend

to. If there is something you wish to say, say it."

"Help us take Malchus down," Robin said stiffly. He felt Cyborg nudge him from the left and Beast Boy from the right, but he hardly cared.

Slade's eye glowed. "Is this your attempt at a temporary alliance?"

Robin glanced at the rest of his team, wanting nothing more than to race back to the Tower and throw himself into a sixteen hour training session.

"Robin," Cyborg muttered.

Robin ignored him. "Are you going to help us or not?"

"Your level of humility is stunning," Slade said.

"Just give us an answer!" Robin shouted.

"What reason would I have for assisting you?" Slade asked coolly, his calmness impressive in the face of a raging, emotional Titan.

Robin practically breathed out fire. "Because we're asking for it," he said tightly.

Slade's eye narrowed. "From my perspective, your request seems to be an order."

"Come on, dude," Beast Boy muttered.

"Just ask him," Raven said.

But Robin was too stubborn. "You're going to help us take Malchus down."

"On the contrary, Robin," Slade said, his single eye flashing dangerously while his voice became steadily icier with each word he spoke. "I take no orders."

Robin, however, hardly cared. "Slade, you—"

"I refuse."

Robin blinked, his mouth falling open when he saw that Slade had turned and was walking away from them. "Hey, wa — you can't refuse!"

"On the contrary," Slade hissed. "I expect no gratitude from you or your friends, but what I _require_ is respect. Face Malchus on your own; perish by his hand."

Robin looked at his friends, then back at Slade. If this didn't work, he could say goodbye to Jump City. Maybe even the Titans themselves. "Slade, wait!"

Slade paused and turned around, saying nothing.

Robin stepped forward, his resolve crumbling. Maybe the Titans were right. Maybe they really did need Slade's help. "I . . . we . . ." He looked into Slade's glowing eye. His jaw tensed and his mouth was barely able to form the words. "We need your help, Slade." Robin inhaled once, his tongue curling around a word so foreign to him that he didn't know if it were humanly possible for him to say it to the man. " _Please_."

For what seemed like an hour, Robin stood facing Slade. The man's single eye seemed to glow with a fire, and Robin wondered what Slade's response would be. He could feel a tense aura surrounding both himself and the Titans as they waited. What if Slade said no? Then they would have to come up with another plan, and to top it all off, Robin's request would've been for nothing.

"I accept."

Robin sighed out in relief, nodded to Slade, then turned heel and faced the Titans. "Come on," he muttered, wanting nothing more than to exhaust himself in the training room. "Let's go."

Cyborg, however, put a hand to Robin's chest and stopped him from leaving. "There's one more thing we've got to do."

"What?" Robin snapped, glaring up at Cyborg. "Give him a meal?"

"We were talking while you were busy sulking at the Tower," Cyborg said. "We came up

with an idea."

"What's the idea?" Robin asked, shooting a glance over his shoulder and feeling a bit vulnerable since Slade was still standing on the pier, listening to their conversation.

"You're not gonna like it," Beast Boy said.

"But it's for the best," Raven said. "We talked it over and weighed all our options."

"Please do not be angry," Starfire said.

"What's the plan?" Robin asked again.

Cyborg sighed, then stepped forward in a stony resolution that made Robin think that he was going to fiercely object to whatever the Titans had in mind.

"We're going to let him into the Tower."


	9. With the Enemy

" _What_?!" Robin couldn't believe it, and he stared up at Cyborg, unsure if he'd even heard his friend right. "Wh — are you crazy?"

"Maybe," Cyborg said, glancing over toward Slade. "But it's for the best."

"No, it's for the worst," Robin said, shaking his head so fiercely that his neck started to hurt. "There's no way in Gotham — Cyborg, the Tower is our home. Our defense systems, security programs, strengths, weaknesses . . . they're all there. And you want to let him in? He's the enemy!"

"No, dude," Beast Boy said. "In case you forgot, Malchus is."

"He's _an_ enemy!" Robin retaliated. "Why would you think that letting him into the Tower would even be an option, much less the only one we've got?"

"The closer he is, the better we can keep an eye on him," Raven said, her voice dropping low.

"Not only that, but if he's in the Tower, he can help us with some battle strategies. Tell us what he knows about Malchus. He can help us plan," Cyborg said. "He can help us, Robin."

"He can do that from whatever lair he's in," Robin growled.

"That makes a whole lot of sense," Beast Boy snorted. "Let's work and plan with someone from halfway across Jump City."

"That, and every time we leave the Tower, Malchus practically destroys us," Raven said.

Robin had to agree that Raven had a point. The Tower's defense systems included a heavy force field, which, for the time being, kept Malchus out. Or maybe it was just boring to him to attack their Tower. Either way, the Titans were only in danger when they left. In fact, they almost hadn't made it to pier six due to Malchus's hanging outside the Tower.

"If he's with us, he can help us. If he's not, then there's no reason asking for his help. You said it yourself last week; Slade's the smartest person you know!" Cyborg said, his voice rising.

"Shut up!" Robin hissed, throwing a glance over each shoulder in panic. "Do you want him to hear you?"

"I don't care if he hears, Robin," Cyborg said, his voice now flat. "What I'm worried about is whether or not _you're_ hearing me. Don't you get it? He's the only one who can match Malchus's intelligence. Don't we want that as close as possible?"

"No," Robin said. "I want him as far away as—"

"Robin, he knows Jump City. He knows it better than we do. He knows just where to hide and where to fight from," Raven interrupted. "That, and he's probably got at least a dozen ideas on how to take Malchus down that we haven't even thought of yet. The closer we can keep him, the better chance we have at gaining his trust and getting him to help us. Do you want to take Malchus down or don't you?"

"Of course I do," Robin said. "But—"

"Dude, it's the only way," Beast Boy said.

"We need him in the Tower so we can plan effectively," Cyborg said. "Any other way would

just be too much trouble."

"His assistance is needed," Starfire said.

Robin panted as though he'd just finished a twenty mile run. He knew that, again, the Titans were right. It was the only way. Stiffening and going against all instinct, Robin nodded, then turned to Slade. "Come with us," he said.

Slade, hands behind his back, nodded.

For only a second in his life, Robin was glad for Slade's lack of response. If Slade had said anything just then, it was quite possible that Robin might've called the entire thing off. Or tried to kill Slade where he stood. "Let's get to the Tower," he growled.

The five — six — members of the Titans left the pier and stood outside the Tower minutes later. Cyborg stepped forward and powered down the force field that surrounded the Tower, then he stepped back to let Slade forward. It took all of Robin's will not to scream in frustration as Slade stepped over their force field projector and approached the Tower. He still couldn't believe they were going through with this.

Cyborg used his hand to open the doors to the Tower, and he motioned for Slade to press his hand against the sensor as well. Robin nearly attacked Slade on the spot as the man placed his hand on the Tower sensor. This was Slade. Now a part of his DNA was inside the Tower's computer systems, allowing him access into and out of the Tower without triggering any alarms. It was unbelievable to think that this was happening.

The six made their way up to the Tower living room before Cyborg turned to Robin.

"Hey, Robin," Cyborg said.

If Robin had possessed Starfire's eye beams, he knew that he probably would've destroyed half the Tower by now. "What?"

"You gonna give him a place to sleep?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin looked at the four Titans in amazed disbelief. This was Slade! Why were they doing this?! "No!"

"Come on, Robin. He's got to sleep," Cyborg said.

Robin rolled his eyes. "You do it," he said tightly.

"No, Robin," Raven said. "You're our leader. You do it."

Robin's jaw clenched, and he let out a wordless snarl as he stormed to the doors of the Tower, not really caring if Slade was following him or not. It was the only moment in Robin's life that he wished the door out of the Titans' living room was an actual door instead of an automatic one. That way, he could slam the door shut and release some of his anger. Now in the hallway, Robin glanced over his shoulder and saw that Slade was, indeed, behind him. Within moments, Robin took off in a run to get away. Halting in front of a spare bedroom, Robin slammed his fist into the panel to open the door. The entire wall shuddered, but Robin didn't care if he'd ruined the panel or not. "Here," he panted in a growl. Looking back, Robin was infuriated to see that Slade wasn't even winded. His single eye was glowing in amusement.

Without a word, Slade crossed into the spare bedroom. The door shut, and Robin returned to the living room to find the Titans all standing there, waiting for him.

"There," Robin said. "It's done."

Cyborg sighed. "Would it kill you to act a little less hostile?"

Robin laughed at this. "This is Slade, Cyborg! A criminal madman! Did you forget that?"

"No, but you've seem to forget that we need his help," Raven said.

"We might've asked him," Robin growled, "but that doesn't mean we have to make him an

honorary Titan."

"But do you think it would be good if you tried not to kill him?" Starfire asked.

"He doesn't deserve that," Robin said.

"He's helping us, Robin!" Cyborg shouted.

"Yeah, and considering your bad attitude," Beast Boy said, "I'm surprised that he actually agreed to it!"

"I don't care about him!" Robin bellowed. "And I can't believe that you're all actually on his side! Did you forget that he made me his apprentice? That he ended Terra and tried to convince Raven of her destiny?"

"We're not on his side," Cyborg said, keeping his voice low. "But it's called working together for a reason. If we want his help—"

"I didn't want it!" Robin shouted.

"Since we _need it_ ," Cyborg said, "we're going to have to at least put up with him! And that starts, with you, Robin."

"No, it started with him," Robin snarled. "It started way back when I was his apprentice!"

"If Slade's gonna work with us, can't you at least treat him like a human being?" Cyborg asked.

"He's not human," Robin muttered. "He's an animal."

"I'm an animal," Beast Boy said. "And it's a lot better than the way you're acting!"

"Is there not a saying on your Earth that says 'undo others, do'?" Starfire asked.

Robin looked away in exasperation. "I'm only doing to him what he's done to me."

"And how is that helping?" Raven asked. "How are we going to take down Malchus if we can't work together? I thought we were a team, Robin."  
"We are," Robin growled. "But Slade's not part of it!"

"Well, now he is!" Cyborg said. "So whether you like it or not, you're gonna have to deal with it!"

"Yeah, and then we'll all run into the sunset together," Robin scoffed with a laugh.

"Robin, he's doing this out of his own free will, remember?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, I'm not," Robin growled.

"Okay, dude, answer this: what has he done?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin, glancing at Beast Boy as though he were crazy, opened his mouth to speak and remind Beast Boy of all the terrible things Slade had done, but he was cut off as Beast Boy continued.

"I mean, what has he done recently?" Beast Boy asked. "Sure, we hate him, and he's done a lot of horrible things in the past. But that was the past; things change. None of us really want to work with him, but at least we're willing, unlike you. Besides, he clued us in on the Brain's plan. He freed us from those prisons. I'm not saying he's reformed, but if he's willing to temporarily work with us to take down a villain, shouldn't you—"

"So he's a hero now?" Robin asked.

"No, but maybe you should stop acting like a villain!" Cyborg shouted.


	10. I'm the Bad Guy?

"He's not the enemy," Raven said.

Robin scoffed. "No, he's just myenemy, apparently."

"All right, fine!" Cyborg said, throwing his hands up into the air. "Hate him if you want. I don't care. But we need him to take Malchus down, Robin. Don't forget that when you're on the brink of attacking him like you were back outside the Tower. We don't need to trust him or make him a Titan. We just need his help. Maybe it would be easier to get that if you didn't . . ." Cyborg rolled his eyes and went to sit down on the couch.

"So now I'm the bad guy?" Robin asked.

None of the Titans would look at him, and Robin stormed out of the room and went to train. For the next twenty minutes, sweat poured down his body as he viciously attacked a punching bag in the corner of the room. Panting and wiping his forehead, Robin sat down on the ground and took a drink of water. Why had Slade decided to help them defeat Malchus? Was he trying to gain their trust so he could attack them when their guard was down? What was his plan? Was he tricking them into allowing him inside the Tower so that he could disable their defense systems, turn the Tower itself against them, and strike them down?

Or were the Titans right? Should he really attempt to ally himself with Slade until the threat of Malchus was over? Should he really . . . trust that Slade was really going to assist them in their fight? Not trust him completely, but just enough to take down their seemingly common enemy? It was a purple moon to think that he'd ever get along with Slade even in the slightest, but perhaps if he tried really hard, he might be able to accept the fact that Slade willingly chose to help them.

No! What was wrong with him? He could _never_ trust the madman; he could never let his guard down. If he did, his world would collapse as it had so many times before. All they needed to do was work together for a specific amount of time, then things would be back to the way they were. The Titans being heroes. Slade being the enemy.

But why was he allying himself with the side of good, even temporarily? What was his goal?

Robin's thoughts were broken as he heard the door behind him open. "Cy," he said tiredly, "I'm busy. I don't—" Robin's body and mind both stiffened as he saw that it was not Cyborg, but Slade standing in the doorway. "Why are you here?" he asked, getting up instantly and brushing himself off.

Slade's gaze swept across the room, and Robin saw the man's eye narrow in a sneer. "Training."

Robin opened his mouth to refuse Slade's joining but closed it when he realized how much of an infant it would've made him sound. He shrugged and turned back to his punching bag. After a moment, he heard Slade training with an identical punching bag on the other side of the room, and Robin couldn't stop himself from turning and staring over at the man. "Why are you doing this?"

Slade said nothing.

"Why are you helping us?" Robin asked, stepping forward.

"Will such unanswered questions prevent you from sleeping, Robin?" Slade asked with a glance over his shoulder, causing Robin to blush.

"You've never helped us before," Robin said. "Why are you deciding to now?"

"Patience, Robin. My reasons are my own," Slade said, leaping and giving twelve kicks to the punching bag before landing on the ground.

Adrenaline fueled Robin's tired body into action. Angry at both Slade for not telling him and himself for not being able to figure it out, Robin threw a batarang in Slade's direction. At the last moment, Slade turned and redirected the batarang into a wall using his wrist armor.

The pair stared each other down for a few moments before Robin, not caring anymore if they were allies or not, took out his bow staff and rushed Slade. He didn't know if the two of them were technically fighting or training, but whatever it was, it made him feel good. This was natural. Usual. Their bow staffs clashed as they matched each other blow for blow, and Robin felt his anger decrease with every moment they fought. In a sense, it was almost therapeutic. Battling the one person he was being forced to get along with made him remember just how good Slade really was. Though he still didn't like the thought of it, perhaps having Slade temporarily on their side would help in their defeat of Malchus. Robin didn't trust the man, and he probably never would, at least not that much, but he had to admit that —

"Hey, Robin?"

Robin ceased his attacks, surprised that he hadn't heard his friends' approach. "W-what?" he panted.

"We were gonna eat dinner," Cyborg said. "Want to join us?"

Robin glanced at Slade, then nodded. "Sure. I'll take some pizza." Robin thought he heard Slade chuckle behind him, but when he looked over his shoulder, he found that Slade had returned to his own training as though his battle with Robin hadn't exhausted him in the slightest. He turned to the Titans and walked out of the room, but right before the five left, Starfire spoke.

"Are you hungry?" Starfire asked.

Slightly annoyed that she would ask Slade that question, Robin was glad when Slade continued his training and didn't answer.

The team exited the training room and sat down in the dining room around several pizza boxes. Robin picked up a slice and was about to bite into it when he saw that all the Titans were looking at him. Cyborg's expression was the worst of all, and Robin knew he wouldn't be able to eat in these conditions. He sighed and looked down at the floor. Though he still didn't like the idea of working alongside Slade, his brief battle with the man had released much of his pent-up anger. Since they were busy trusting Slade, they wanted him to do the same. "All right," he said at last. "I'll try it."

"Good to see you've come to your senses," Cyborg said.

"Finally, dude," Beast Boy said.

"Joyous of joys!" Starfire said, picking up a slice of pizza in celebration.

At that moment, Robin heard the Tower's living room door open. He stiffened as Slade entered, and Robin felt that the entire Team was now looking at him. Robin watched Slade for several moments, but Slade said nothing to the Titans. He simply walked over to the kitchen, retrieved a bottle of water from the counter, and was about to leave the room when Beast Boy nudged Robin. Robin saw that all the Titans were waiting for him to say something, and he knew what he had to do. ". . . are you hungry?" Robin forced out.

Slade paused, then turned to face the Titans. "I have brought my own sustenance."

"What is it?" Cyborg asked.

Robin turned to his slice of pizza, trying to act uninterested, but he still glanced toward Slade in curiosity. Slade reached into a pouch on his utility belt, causing Robin to tense until Slade pulled out a small, white cube the size of a marble and held it between two fingers.

"You eat that?" Beast Boy asked. "Looks like bird food."

"What's it made of?" Raven asked.

Slade blinked. "It is a chemically engineered protein supplement."

"Well, this is manufacturally engineered fake meat," Beast Boy said, holding up a slice of pizza and having the point flop down. "Sure you don't want some?"

Slade, not responding, turned and left the room. Robin breathed out a sigh once he'd left and finally took a bite of his pizza.

"When are we going to make plans to take Malchus down?" Raven asked.

Robin, finished eating, stretched and yawned. "Not tonight. Tomorrow at noon."

'Then you'd better tell everyone," Cyborg said, glancing over toward the door to the hallway.

"I did, what . . ." Robin blinked, then sighed. Not having enough energy to put up a fight,

Robin got up and trudged to the room they'd given to Slade. He was just about to knock when

the door slid open and Slade stood there, looking down at him. Robin considered. He greatly wanted to order Slade to be at their meeting tomorrow, but he knew from quite a lot of experience that Slade did not respond well to orders. But what did that make Slade? He wasn't part of the team, so technically Robin wasn't his leader. If he thought about it, it made more sense for Robin to consider himself Slade's inferior, but he was too proud for that. Did that make them equals? Something completely different? "We're going to plan on how to defeat Malchus tomorrow at noon," he said.

Slade nodded, then the door closed in Robin's face.

Robin sighed and returned to the Titans, feeling his anger drop to a simmer by the time he sat

down in front of the television. Everything was usual. Starfire fed Silkie; Raven read another spell book; Beast Boy and Cyborg played their video game.


	11. No Questions

Robin stared at the television screen, not really paying attention to who was winning. Why was Slade helping them? It didn't make sense! He was a villain; what reasons would he have for helping the Titans defeat someone who could annihilate them? Why didn't Slade just let Malchus kill them so he'd have five less Titans to worry about? Suddenly, Robin slammed a fist on the sofa beside him, causing all the Titans to jump. "Titans! Why do you think Slade's helping us?"

"Probably because we asked," Beast Boy said, his tongue sticking out slightly as he continued his video game with Cyborg.

"I'm serious!" Robin said. "He's never helped us before; the last time was only because he needed help to get his body back!"

"Think he's returning the favor?" Raven asked.

"No!" Robin yelled. "Slade doesn't do favors! He feels no remorse for everything he's done! You think he'd just help us because he's feels bad about it?"

"Have you asked him?" Starfire asked.

"And how do you think that works out for me?" Robin growled, clenching his fists. "He says nothing, and that puts me back to my original question! Slade's a villain! If he's helping us, he must have a good reason."

"Why don't we just count our lucky stars that he's helping us at all?" Cyborg asked. "He can help us; he's brilliant, Robin! You know that!"

"Brilliant or not, he's still a villain; he's evil!" Robin snarled. "How can you four even begin to trust him?"

"Because we have to, Robin!" Raven shouted. "He's the only chance we have at defeating Malchus!"

"Dude, what's your problem?" Beast Boy asked. "Could you just trust him for—"

" _My_ problem?" Robin's eyes widened in exasperation. "You're the ones letting him into the Tower! Did you forget that Slade forced Terra to work for him and eventually sacrifice herself?"

"How _dare_ you," Beast Boy growled, his eyes dilating quickly before reverting back to normal, "say that I would ever forget about Terra. She's always on my mind, especially when I'm around him, but I'm forcing myself not to think about it so we can work together and take Malchus down!"

"So that's just it, then?" Robin asked. "You're just going to ignore the fact that he's been our enemy — oh, sorry, _my_ enemy — ever since he showed up in Jump City?"

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "I don't like Slade any more than you do! None of us do!"

"Well, you're not acting like it!" Robin yelled.

"Uh, newsflash, Robin, it's a lot easier to work with someone you _asked to help you_ when

you're not busy hating them every second of the day!"

"How am I supposed to get over the fact that he ruined my life?!" Robin yelled.

"It's not about getting over it!" Beast Boy roared. "For once in your life, would it kill you to try to accept the fact that he's temporarily on our side?"

"Yeah, it would!" Robin shot back with a snarl.

"Well, if you forgot, brainiac, we need the dude's help! And, amazingly, he agreed to it! We can't do this without him, and if you can't accept that we actually need his help just this once, then maybe you should go face Malchus alone and get yourself pummeled into next year!"

"Helping us or not, Slade's still a villain! He injected you all with bots!" Robin said. "He tried to kill us all! Why would he free us from those prisons and actually help us take Malchus down instead of letting him destroy us?"

"It seems that we will have to _trust_ each other."

So caught up in their argument were the Titans that they didn't even notice Slade's entering the room. Robin, startled, turned and saw Slade leaning against the far wall, and he wondered how long the man had been standing there. "I'll never trust you," Robin growled. Then, glancing around and seeing the Titans' expressions of exasperation, he sighed. "Why are you helping us, anyway?" Robin thought he saw Slade smile at this comment.

"I will assist you in battle only if you refrain from questioning my motives," Slade said. "Is that clear?"

Robin could feel Slade's eye now burning into his mask, and Robin himself felt practically on fire as rage consumed him. What was Slade doing? He was the leader of the Titans; he didn't answer to Slade. "I don't—"

"Robin," Cyborg warned.

Robin glanced at the rest of the Titans, cringing slightly when he saw their expressions. All right, fine. He could do this, but it was only because he had to. Unfortunately, there were no other immediate options. Glaring back at the man, he answered. "Yes, Slade."

With a single nod, Slade left the room, and Robin leaned back against the sofa with a sigh. "So now it's conditional help."

"Dude, if I were you, I'd just be glad he's helping us at all," Beast Boy said. "You didn't really seem enthused when you asked him to help us."

"What? Should I go thank him for it?" Robin asked, his voice tight.

"Just listen to what he says tomorrow during our planning," Cyborg said. "He'll probably come up with some incredible ideas."

"And then he'll use them all to take us down," Robin said.

"Robin, calm down," Raven asked. "I know for a fact that Slade really is planning on helping us take down Malchus. Since the moment he got here, I used my powers to sense if anything was off. For now at least, he's on our side."

"Sorry," Robin said, giving her a thin-lipped smile. "Old habits die hard. Slade would know that better than anyone else here."

Raven rolled her eyes, and the conversation stalled after that. After a minute or two of sitting in silence, Robin got up. "I'm going to bed," he said. No one responded, and Robin sighed and left the room. Instead of going to his own bedroom, however, he bypassed his own and stopped at the room they'd given Slade. Robin, yawning once, stared at the door, knowing that it was locked but vaguely wondering what Slade was doing.

Did the man sleep? If so, did he remove his mask? What was the face underneath? Was it as grotesque as the face Robin had seen during their fight against Trigon's fire minions? And, if he did actually sleep, which to Robin was a slim possibility, did he take off his armor? Did he remove his utility belt? Questions such as these, each more ludicrous than the last, flashed through Robin's sleep-fogged mind.

Shaking his head to clear it, Robin yawned again and went to his own bedroom, lying down on his bed and closing his eyes. Unlike the usual comfort he found, however, this time Robin's bedroom gave him no solace. Despite his exhausted state from the day's events, Robin found himself unable to sleep. He tossed, turned, got up, lay down, then abandoned the idea altogether and sat up in bed, yawning again. Though his body was numb with tiredness, his brain was alit with thoughts and ideas all revolving around a single person.

How was he supposed to sleep, anyway? Slade was in the Tower. The madman was in the very bedroom next to his, probably planning the destruction of first them, then the Tower, then Jump City and the world. How could the Titans choose to have him work with them? How could they act so . . . friendly toward a villain who made it his personal goal to take them all down? Did they think that Slade had changed? Maybe not, but did they think that he didn't have some ulterior motive for helping them all?

Now that Slade had prevented the Titans from inquiring any further into his reasons for his assisting them, Robin was more determined than ever to find out the man's motives. But whatever his plan, Slade, as always, hid it well. It was disgusting to see how casual he acted around them all, as if everything he'd done to them previously meant nothing and was forgotten and forgiven. Robin would just have to never let his guard down. Malchus hardly mattered when Slade was in the picture.

The enemy was so near. He was much nearer than Robin would've liked, and Robin didn't know whether this was good or bad. Keeping his enemy closer than his friends was one thing, but allowing said enemy into their home . . . was it really a good idea? And even if Slade _could_ help them with his intelligence, would he? Would he help them take down Malchus, or would he just stand by and watch as they were all massacred?

Robin groaned and yawned again. He didn't want to look at the clock, but he was vaguely aware that the sun was starting to rise. Great. He hadn't slept at all. Ineffectively shaking off his tiredness, Robin decided to rise and go train. He left his bedroom and entered the training room, surprised and angry to find that Slade was already busy training by himself. "Don't you ever sleep?" Robin asked.

Slade halfway turned to face him. "Apparently you do not."

No amount of tiredness could quell Robin's fury toward Slade, and in an instant the two were battling again in the training room. With each hit Robin gave and received, his tiredness and anger both grew. Rage and unanswered questions burned in his mind. Why was Slade helping them? Why couldn't he figure out the man's motives? "Why are you helping us?" Robin asked as he threw a kick toward Slade. Slade's eye seemed to flash in that instant, and he grabbed Robin's leg and threw him to the ground. Slade then put a foot on Robin's back and grabbed both of his wrists, pulling upward and causing Robin to scream.

"Ask no questions," Slade hissed before releasing Robin.

Robin pulled himself to his hands and knees, rubbing both his shoulders and glaring up at

Slade. After judging whether or not his next statement was appropriate, Robin responded. "You're no hero," he growled.

"I never said I was," Slade said coolly.

"You're a villain," Robin said.

Slade's eye seemed to glow with laughter. "Obviously."

Robin opened his mouth to say more, then remembered Slade's reaction to his last question. Shaking his head, Robin turned to the punching bag behind him and gave it a harsh kick. He was aware that Slade was leaving the room, and he whirled around in a confrontational air. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Slade paused, then left the room without a word. Now that Slade was gone, Robin sank to the floor in complete exhaustion. He hadn't wanted Slade to see how much their battle had weakened him, but that was probably due to the fact that he'd gotten no sleep the night before. It was Slade's fault, anyway. Lying down and pressing his face against the training room floor, Robin noticed that the cool ground felt quite comfortable. Maybe he could just stay here for a little bit before training again . . .


	12. Power Struggle

Robin shot awake, blinking as he sat up and stretched. What was he doing in the training room? Hadn't he slept in his bed? Slowly, the previous events that'd led to this crept into his mind. He nodded to himself, then vaguely looked at the clock on the wall, jumping up in panic when he saw that it was five minutes to noon.

Robin raced out of the training room, furious with himself for dozing off. However, the closer he got to the Tower living room, the more confused Robin became. Had it all been a dream? It was ludicrous to think that the Titans would actually allow Slade to help them, much less let him inside the Tower. It didn't make sense. It didn't seem possible. There was no way the Titans would go so far to take down a villain, even a villain as deadly as Malchus.

It'd been a dream, all of it. That had to be it. As for Robin's sleeping in the training room, well, he did that quite often anyway. Sighing with happiness, Robin entered the Tower living room and grinned at the Titans. "Good morn—" Robin choked on the rest of his sentence when he saw Slade leaning against the far side of the room. He clenched his fists; so it hadn't been a dream.

"We going to come up with a plan?" Cyborg asked.

Robin rolled his eyes, walking over and joining the Titans at their circular database system that stood in the center of the room. He threw a glance over toward Slade, a bit glad that the man was keeping his distance. "All right," he said, covering up his mouth as he yawned, "what do we know?"

"We know that Malchus is invincible," Starfire said.

"We know that he possesses the powers of everyone he combined from," Raven said. "The H.I.V.E., the Brain, Mallah, Rouge, and Overload."

"And we know that he's invincible," Beast Boy repeated.

Cyborg thought for a moment, then shrugged. "His clothes represent the people he's combined from."

"Is that all we know?" Robin asked, deflating a bit and glancing toward Slade with a small blush.

"Sorry, dude, but we're pretty busy being beaten up," Beast Boy said. "We don't really have time to do much more than survive."

Robin ground his teeth as he heard Slade chuckle behind them.

"For being heroes, you five certainly don't study your enemy very closely," Slade said, stepping forward.

"And I suppose you have?" Robin shot back. "We've fought him practically hundreds of times. How many times have you—"

"Have you not realized that, each time Malchus uses his powers, his eyes change to theirs briefly before attacking?" Slade asked coolly.

Robin blinked and looked at the rest of the team, seeing that they looked as stunned as he did. Some twenty-four times had they faced Malchus, and no one had ever picked that up.

"Really?" Cyborg asked.

"I never saw," Starfire said, drooping slightly.

"Did it also slip your notice that he is able to use only one attack at a time and requires reversion back into his original form before using a different power?"

Robin's mouth was now open slightly. He was, at the same time, amazed that Slade knew this and furious with himself for not realizing it himself. He glanced over at Cyborg, seeing Cyborg shrug.

"Malchus is not invincible," Slade said, walking up to the Titans' database system. "He is but a man, and he has weaknesses."

"What weaknesses?" Robin asked, blushing when he saw that Slade seemed to be smiling now.

"The same weakness common to all man and beast-kind," Slade said. "Emotion."

"What are you talking about?" Cyborg asked.

"The warehouse," Slade said simply.

Robin's memory flashed back to when the Titans, inside their prisons, had first seen Slade. He could clearly remember Slade's words and Malchus's anger following. He gasped and was already nodding.

"It seems that the leader of the Titans agrees with me," Slade said.

Robin blinked, then let out a growl that Beast Boy would later comment on as an impressive imitation of a wolf. He turned to the Titans. "So all we have to do is make Malchus angry."

"Your assumption is incorrect," Slade said, and Robin was starting to get angry himself that Slade was cutting him off at every turn.

"I'm the leader of the Titans," Robin growled under his breath.

"Yet you know nothing," Slade said. In that instant, Slade addressed them all. "Anger is a fault, yes, but it is also an emotion that brings great strength. If our defeat of Malchus is to be successful, you need to know more than a single weakness."

"What is it that we need to know?" Starfire asked.

Slade glanced over his shoulder. "I have matters to attend to, but we will return for another meeting at fifteen hundred hours." And saying this, Slade began to exit the room.

The other four Titans seemed to agree with Slade, but Robin ran over to Slade and cut off his exit. Robin looked at the Titans, then glared at Slade. "We'll continue this meeting," he snarled in a whisper. I'm the leader here, Slade. Remember that—"

"I. Serve. _No one_."

Slade's words and aura were so dangerous that Robin actually took a step backward, swallowing nervously. Slade passed him by and left the room, and Robin looked again at the Titans. He sighed and shrugged. "Meeting at three o'clock." Then Robin left the room, once again itching to train. He was about to enter the training room, but the sounds of powerful kicks and punches told him that the room was already occupied. Casually passing by, Robin used his peripheral vision to spot Slade. Then, after passing once, Robin turned around and passed by the room again, suddenly getting an idea.

He would figure out Slade's plan. And what better way to find that out than by searching his room? Resolute in this decision, Robin stopped in front of Slade's room and entered the access password on the panel. The door didn't open. Frustrated now, Robin realized that Slade had probably changed the password himself. He entered five more passwords to no avail, punching the panel in frustration when the door wouldn't open. He considered getting Cyborg's help to open the door, knowing that his mechanical friend would have the door open in seconds, but decided against it. They seemed to be . . . on Slade's side. They were busy trying to trust him and gain his trust, and Robin was trying to expose Slade for the criminal he knew Slade was. It wasn't a very good combination.

An idea suddenly came to Robin's mind, and he raced to the ventilation system he could access from his own room. After leaping into the vents, it only took Robin a minute to locate Slade's quarters. Pulling the ceiling vent free, Robin swung his legs through the hole and grabbed the vent cover with his hands, swinging down and hanging from the vent grate, now Slade's ceiling, and dropping to the floor. Now Slade would never know how he'd gotten in.

Mission accomplished.

Looking around, it took Robin's eyes several moments to adjust to the darkness of the room. After his eyes adjusted, he looked around, trying to locate anything out of the ordinary. It was strange how untouched everything in the room looked, and it only furthered Robin's assumption that Slade never slept. The bed was made perfectly. The floor was unsoiled. The closet contained no clothes of any sort. The dresser was untouched, and Robin pulled open each drawer to find them all empty. Did Slade even use the room he'd been given?

Knowing how brilliant Slade was, Robin even checked the multiple hidden compartments in the room, not putting it past Slade to quickly discover and use them to his advantage. But they were empty as well. He checked under the bed and inside the mattress as well, being exceedingly careful to rearrange everything back to the way it'd been so Slade suspected nothing. Robin was about to check the closet again when he heard footsteps nearing the room. Robin stiffened; his time as Slade's apprentice had taught him well what his 'master's' footsteps sounded like.

Jumping and grabbing the grate with both hands, Robin swung his grip to the side and grabbed the lip of the vent with one hand while pushing the grate aside with the other. Then, letting go and dropping to the ground, Robin pulled out his bow staff and used it as a spring to leap into the vent and land with minimal noise. He was just putting the grate back into place when the door opened and in walked Slade.

Robin didn't dare sigh in relief. But with his fingers hooked through the grate itself and his face pressed against the cool steel, Robin could see everything that was going on. After Slade walked into the room, he locked the door behind him and walked into the center of the room. Then, for some reason, Slade stopped moving. What was going on? Right as Slade jumped, Robin only had time to realize what the man was doing before it happened. Grabbing the grate above him with one hand, Slade pulled both the grate from its position in the ceiling and Robin down with it. A kick in the chest threw Robin against a wall, and just as Robin was getting to his feet to either battle or flee, a bow staff swipe to his stomach pressed him into the same wall.

Slade was in front of him, their faces inches apart. Robin tried to speak but was unable to due to the pain of Slade's staff pressed against his stomach.

"I was under the impression that sleeping accommodations are off-limits to those of whom they do not belong," Slade growled.

"You're planning something," Robin gasped. "I know—" Robin was thrown across the room as Slade's fist connected with his head.

"Leave."

Robin, not daring to stay, raced from the room and shut himself in his own bedroom, inwardly

kicking himself for being so stupid. Why had he searched Slade's room, anyway? Why hadn't he left the room earlier? Hadn't he known that Slade would discover him in the vents? And, most importantly, why hadn't he found anything?

Rolling over with a his groan and rubbing head, Robin pulled out a batarang and threw it at the opposing wall, imagining that Slade was the one being hit. He looked at the clock beside his bed, groaning again when he realized it was time for their meeting. Well, it wasn't _their_ meeting, but . . .

Exiting his bedroom and walking into the dining room, Robin joined the other four Titans at the database system. The five waited in silence, then at exactly three o'clock, Slade entered.

"The meeting is cancelled," was all Slade said before turning around.

Robin blinked, and saw that the Titans had on mirrored expressions of amazement.

"Wait, dude!" Beast Boy shouted. "Why?"

Slade paused. "Ask your precious leader that question." Then he left.

Now all eyes were on Robin. Shrugging, Robin avoided their gazes. "I . . . searched his room."

Cyborg sighed. "Man, really?"

"It would've been _fine_ ," Robin stressed, "if I hadn't been caught," he ended in a mutter.


	13. Wrong Quarters

"What were you looking for, anyway?" Beast Boy asked.

"Anything. Everything," Robin said. "I also wanted to see if he was hacking into our security system."

Cyborg put his hands behind his head. "Dude, it would take a miracle for anyone to hack into the Tower's system."

"Or a Slade," Robin growled.

"Aren't we trying to get Slade to trust us?" Raven asked.

"There you guys go again with trust," Robin said. "He's the enemy!"  
"Malchus is our enemy, is he not?" Starfire asked.

"And so is Slade!" Robin said.

"Slade is helping us," Beast Boy said, "Malchus isn't. Doesn't that make Slade temporarily an ally? Dude, unless you think we can take Malchus without Slade's help, we're going to have to deal with him. And twenty-four losses already tells me we can't."

"We don't need Slade's help!" Robin yelled.

"Yes, we do!" Cyborg shouted. "We don't know anything! Slade knows everything! And he was about to tell us how to take Malchus down, but thanks to you, that's not gonna happen!"

"But isn't it strange how he knows so much more than us?" Robin asked. "Doesn't that make you think that maybe he has something to do with this?"  
"No, Robin, I don't," Cyborg said. "I think you just can't get over the fact that Slade actually knows more about something than you do."

"He has a plan!" Robin yelled. "Can't any of you see that?"

"So what if he has a plan, Robin?" Raven asked. "Right now, we need to take Malchus down! That's our only plan! Not figuring out the motives of someone who's actually helping us! Because while you're busy snooping around in Slade's room, Malchus is destroying half of Jump City!"

"So, what?" Robin asked, not daring to trust Slade but still realizing that the Titans were right. Malchus was destroying the world. All Slade was doing was training and protecting his room from people like Robin. "Do I have to go apologize?"

Cyborg sat back and laughed a bit. "You'd never do that."

"You got that right," Robin growled.

"But next time, stay out of his room," Raven said. "Remember what happened last time someone went into _my_ room?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg both cringed. "We remember," they said.

"All right," Robin said. "I'll stop on one condition: I want one Titan watching Slade at all times. Cyborg, you're up first. You guys all right with that?"

"If it gets Malchus defeated sooner, I'll watch him twenty-four seven," Cyborg said. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Well, here's your chance," Robin said, everyone turning as Slade entered the room. Slade made no indication that he even noticed the Titans all standing there. He simply took a bottle of

water from the countertop and was about to leave when Cyborg stood up and raced over to him.

"Hey, man!" Cyborg said. "You going to train?"

Slade nodded.

"Then I'll come with you," Cyborg said. "I've been slacking and getting a little rusty."

Slade's eye flicked over to Robin, and Robin could've sworn he saw the man smile. Cyborg and Slade left the room to go train, and Beast Boy turned to Raven.

"Hey, Raven," Beast Boy said. "Want to play a video game?"

"No," Raven said, getting up and leaving the room.

"I will play the game of videos after I feed the Silkie," Starfire said, leaving the room to retrieve her favorite pet.

Beast Boy turned to Robin next, looking up at him with wide, soulful eyes. "Want to play a video game?"

Robin laughed and nodded. For the next two hours, they did more fighting for the controllers than actually playing the video game, but Robin didn't mind. In fact, it was almost enough for him to forget about —

"Dude!" Cyborg yelled. "You're playing _that_ video game? Give me that controller, Beast Boy!"

Robin glanced around the room, seeing no Slade. "Where's Slade, Cyborg?"

"I swapped with Raven," Cyborg said, trying to grab the controller from Beast Boy.

"Well, what'd you find out?" Robin asked.

For a moment, Cyborg allowed Beast Boy possession of the controller. "Robin, the dude _never_ talks. What am I supposed to find out?"

"Everything," Robin said. "Anything!"

Cyborg shrugged. "He's a great fighter, but you knew that already."

Robin blinked. "You trained with him?"

"It's the only thing he does," Cyborg said. "So, yeah, we trained."  
Robin leaned back against the sofa and gave Cyborg his own controller. "Then we didn't find out anything new."

"Did you expect to?" Beast Boy asked.

"I just want to know what he's up to!" Robin shouted. He sighed. "I just . . ."

"Do not worry, Robin," Starfire said, sitting down on the couch with Silkie in her arms. "We are heroes. Slade will not be victorious."

Robin nodded, yawned, then got up. "I think I'm going to go to bed, guys."

Beast Boy's eyes widened in shock. "Now? You haven't even eaten dinner, dude!"

"It's only six," Cyborg said. "Isn't that kind of early?"

Robin shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it.

"Are you all right, friend Robin?" Starfire asked.

"I'm fine, Star," Robin said.

"Okay. You want to schedule another meeting?" Cyborg asked.

Robin waved him off with another yawn. "Tomorrow. Goodnight." On his way to his room, Robin saw Slade and Raven both walking toward him. Slade didn't look his way when he passed, but Robin caught Raven's eye and saw her nod. Well, _she_ didn't sense anything. Did that mean that Slade really was trustworthy? Shaking the idea off, Robin fell into bed and closed his eyes. After several minutes of lying there, Robin sat up, frustrated beyond words. Here he was, so tired that it felt like bricks were lying on his chest, and he couldn't fall asleep. What was wrong with his mind? What was wrong with his body?

Pounding his fist on his bed, Robin stood up, practicing several training exercises in the hopes

that tiring his body out would produce the desired results. It didn't. All it did was make Robin's mind race even faster. Why couldn't he sleep? Were his thoughts that consumed with Slade?

The laughter Robin heard in the Tower eventually died down, and Robin realized that everyone else had gone to sleep. Everyone that was, except him. And maybe Slade. It was infuriating to know that Slade was only a room away, to know that he was now living in the Tower, and yet Robin didn't know anything more about him. Two days Slade had lived here, and yet Robin hadn't found out anything other than what he'd already known before the Titans had asked Slade for help.

What time was it, anyway? Glancing at his clock, Robin saw that it was past four hundred hours . . . four in the morning. Suddenly very thirsty, Robin got up and staggered out of his room, yawning the entire way to the bathroom and drinking deeply from the faucet. Hardly able to walk, Robin made his way back to his own bedroom, frustrated when he found that the door wouldn't open. Had he locked himself out? If so, how? Would he have to wake up Cyborg so that he could go to bed?

Groaning again, Robin pressed the panel on the side of the door for several seconds before realizing that he'd been pressing nothing more than the wall itself; he was on the wrong side of the door. He pressed the panel correctly this time, but the door still wouldn't open. Unable to even think at that point, Robin knocked twice at the door, hoping that someone was inside his room and would answer the door.

The door opened. Falling into the room, some magical force allowed Robin to catch himself before he crashed to the ground. He looked up, blinking twice, and was aware that Slade was standing in front of him. Robin rubbed his eyes. "Why are . . . in my room?"

"This is not your room," Slade said.

"Oh." Robin's head jerked back up and he yawned. "Are you sure?"

Slade turned away from him. "Leave."

Robin swayed on the spot, unsure if he knew which way the door was. "Okay. Do you sleep?"

"I assume everyone does."

Something in Robin's sleep-addled brain rejoiced in triumph. So Slade did sleep! "Cool.

What do you dream about?"

Slade didn't answer. He merely moved toward Robin, grabbed him by the arms, turned him around, and pushed him out of the room. The door closed and locked behind Robin as he groaned and wondered where his room was. After quite a good amount of searching, Robin finally located his bedroom. He stumbled into his room, collapsed onto his bed, and lay between the realms of sleep and wakefulness until his alarm went off. Robin let out a shaky sigh before he rose and went to the bathroom. He splashed his face with cold water in an attempt to wake himself up.

Teeth chattering, Robin went to join the Titans for breakfast, and he was surprised to see that Slade was in the room also, consuming his own nutrients at the far side of the room and not joining the Titans.

"Come on, are you sure you don't want one?" Beast Boy asked Slade, holding out a plate of waffles to him.

Slade shook his head, then turned to Robin and spoke. "It appears you located your quarters."

Robin blushed fiercely at this comment, glaring at Slade before grabbing the cereal and slamming it down on the table next to Starfire.

"Good morning, Robin," Starfire said.

Robin grunted in response, rolling his eyes when he realized that he forgot the milk. He got up to retrieve it when Beast Boy spoke.

"Are you sure you don't want some?" Beast Boy asked Slade again. "They're wafflelicious!"

At this, Slade chuckled. "I am surprised that you Titans consume such . . . pointless sustenance."

"Waffles are delicious!" Beast Boy shot back. "What do you got against the waffle?"

"Your food offers no nutritional value," Slade said. "I'm amazed that you can maintain equilibrium." Slade's eye wandered over to Robin, and Robin blushed again at Slade's words.

"We can stand just fine!" Beast Boy said. "In fact, I can stand on eight legs!" Beast Boy briefly turned into a spider before reverting back to normal.

"Dude, you okay?" Cyborg asked as Robin sat down with the milk in hand.


	14. Between the Lines

All eyes were now on Robin, and he rubbed his eyes and blew them off. "Pass me those waffles, Beast Boy."

"You got it," Beast Boy said, tossing him the maple syrup as well.

Robin glared over at Slade and, not caring that he was doing this out of spite, took twelve waffles from the plate of two dozen that Beast Boy had made. Then he took the cap off the maple syrup bottle and dumped the entire container over his waffles.

"You that hungry?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin nodded then began to devour. The Titans watched, amazed, as Robin singlehandedly ate more waffles than not just any Titan ever in a single meal, but all five of the Titans combined ever. One-quarter of the way through his meal, Robin, feeling his throat swelling from so much sugar, took a large drink of milk before continuing. Only after it was too late did he realize that he was drinking from the maple syrup bottle. Choking but still swallowing the drink, Robin had a long coughing fit before choosing the correct drink. Swallowing milk this time, Robin continued his effort.

By now, the Titans were cheering him on. Halfway through his plate, Robin paused, feeling as though he were going to die. Glancing over at Slade, Robin saw that the man's eye was glowing with humor. Huffing under his breath, Robin continued eating, trying his best to ignore the stabbing pain in his stomach.

"You sure you can eat all that?" Cyborg asked.

For Robin, there was no going back. Now panting heavily, Robin continued eating, taking shaky bite after shaky bite. On his last bite of food, Robin's entire body gave a shudder, and he tried not to breathe too heavily as he swallowed. The Titans cheered. Robin stood up and smirked over at Slade, but Robin thought he saw a condescending look in the man's eye. That was no matter; Robin was victorious.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Beast Boy said.

"You did it, man!" Cyborg shouted, slapping Robin on the back.

This move, however, was Robin's ultimate downfall. His body heaved and he ran from the room instantly, barely making it to the bathroom in time. He returned to the Tower's living room some time later, keeping his head down as he assisted the Titans in their breakfast cleanup. He didn't dare look in Slade's direction.

"Beast Boy, it's your turn," Robin muttered, gesturing toward Slade.

Beast Boy frowned slightly. "I still can't believe he doesn't like waffles." With a shrug, Beast Boy walked over to Slade. "Hey, did you know that we have a training course outside?"

Slade blinked.

"I'm going to run through it," Beast Boy said. "You can try it, too."

The pair left soon after, and Robin turned back to the plate he was busy washing and scrubbed it with a vengeance. Raven brought the dishes over to the kitchen using her powers, Starfire rinsed them, and Cyborg dried everything by changing his arm into a fan. After the dishes were done, Robin walked over to the Tower window and watched Beast Boy showing Slade their training course. Growling slightly, he decided to join them.

Walking outside, Robin walked over to Beast Boy as Beast Boy programmed their usual training simulation into the outdoor database. "Hey, Beast Boy."

"Hey, Robin," Beast Boy said, beginning stretching as he continued talking. "I showed Slade our training course, and he seemed pretty excited. Well, I mean, I assume he was. I can't really tell because he's got that whole mask thing going on, but . . ."

Robin nodded vaguely as he glanced over at Slade. Slade seemed to be looking out toward Jump City, and Robin wondered if he was thinking about how to take Malchus down. Robin snorted; he was probably thinking about how to take them down.

". . . want to go first?"

Robin blinked, then shook his head. "No, you can go first."

Beast Boy nodded and took his place at the starting line. Robin and Slade both watched him run through the course, which took a little over a minute. After Beast Boy finished, Robin clapped for him. "A minute and five seconds, Beast Boy. Good job."

"Sixty-eight seconds," Slade corrected.

Robin frowned, confident in his skills at keeping time. Running over to their outdoor training database, he accessed the file on Beast Boy's recent run which automatically recorded his start and finishing time. He spat on the ground when he saw that Slade was correct.

Now that Beast Boy was through, Slade took the starting line. Just as the man was beginning, Robin saw Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven exit the Tower and walk over to join them. Robin didn't know if they came specifically to see Slade's technique or just because they had nothing better to do, but he didn't care. At least not that much.

Slade finished the course, standing up and walking to the sidelines once he was through.

"Whoa, forty seconds," Cyborg whispered to Beast Boy. "Is that a record?"

"If it is, it's about to be broken," Robin growled, taking his own place at the starting line. The instant his foot stepped onto the field, the timer started. As fast as he could, Robin sped through the course, confident in his abilities since he'd done this many times before and knew exactly when, where, and how to conserve energy while gaining speed at the same time. "Done," he said, panting slightly before rejoining the Titans. "Time?"

"Forty . . ." Beast Boy glanced in Robin's direction, "three seconds."

Robin couldn't believe it. He raced over to the panel himself, checking on both his and Slade's own times to make sure it was right. Then, shaking his head, Robin took the starting line again.

"Dude," Cyborg said, "you just—"

"Program it again," Robin said firmly, stifling a yawn.

Shrugging, Cyborg programmed the simulation into the system. "Whenever you're ready."  
Robin leapt from the starting point, giving it his all this time and consciously aware that both Slade and the Titans were watching him. He wouldn't mess this up. "Time," he said, panting

more heavily this time.

"Forty-three seconds," Cyborg said.

Robin clenched his fists in anger, glaring at Slade before glaring at the training database itself,

as if it'd made an error. Indignant, he ran through the course twice more, getting the same time

as before, then nearly collapsed on the sidelines from exhaustion. The rest of the Titans ran through the course as well, and, after watching them all, Robin was just about to leave when Starfire ran up to him.

"Robin, we have not been doing the much of the planning to defeat Malchus," she said. "Will we have another one of the meetings to take him down?"

Robin glanced at the team before looking at Slade. "We'll have a meeting at four o'clock." The team nodded, and Slade seemed to allow the meeting as well. Robin returned to the Tower soon after, banging his fist on the wall in frustration. Why hadn't he been able to get a better time? How was Slade so good? What did he do that allowed him mastery over every sort of obstacle in his way? Was it really the food he ate? Robin gritted his teeth as he thought about it. He had to know more about Slade. He had to!

Getting another idea, Robin raced into his room and retrieved several microscopic video cameras from the table next to his bed. Checking to make sure that Slade was still outside on the training course, he quickly snuck into the man's room, hiding the cameras at light speed before exiting and sighing in relief. This time, he wouldn't get caught. He would find out more about Slade. He would figure out the man's plan.

Slade was the second one to return to the Tower. The rest of the Titans were still outside training, so Robin immediately fell into step behind Slade as the man made his way to the training room, realizing that it was his turn to watch Slade and make sure he didn't blow up their Tower or something like that.

"I had no idea that my daily schedule was of such importance to you."

Robin's head snapped up, and he frowned when he saw Slade looking over his shoulder. Robin looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Or are you simply frightened of what I can do?"

Robin's anger pulsed within him. He glared up at Slade. "I'm not scared of you," he growled, clenching his fists.

"And yet you have the rest of the Titans follow me around like bodyguards."

Slade struck a nerve, and Robin blushed. Of course the man knew his intentions. If only he could figure out Slade as quickly and easily as the man figured him out . . . "Just keeping my enemies closer than my friends," Robin muttered.

Slade turned around fully, and Robin instinctively took a fighting stance. Slade chuckled.

"Playing with fire will get you burned, Robin."

"Yeah, and you'd better keep that in mind," Robin retorted, grinding his teeth together.

"Oh, I do, Robin." Slade's eye was glowing. "Something so uncontrollable needs taming."

"You can't tame something that's wild," Robin snarled. "It'll bite back."

"It can learn obedience," Slade said.

"It's won't fly under servitude," Robin said, now staring boldly at Slade and waiting for the man to counter.

"No, Robin. It will _soar_."

Robin faltered, stepping backward in confusion. He blinked once, then heard the Tower's clock chime four o'clock. He turned and walked back toward the Tower's living room. "Time for a meeting," he muttered, hearing Slade follow behind him but not daring to look over his shoulder. When Robin entered the dining room, he found all four Titans gathered around their database, ready for the meeting. Slade entered behind Robin, walking over to the far side of the room and not joining them in the center of the room. Robin glanced at Slade, swallowed, then looked away, still not used to the fact that Slade was in the Tower. In their home.

"What methods of attack have we tried already?" Cyborg asked when Robin said nothing.

"Ariel, underground, frontal, sneak attacks," Beast Boy said, ticking them off on his fingers. "You name it, we've tried it."

"I've tried several times to get into his mind," Raven said, "but he attacks my body before I can gain access."

"Is that all the intelligence you've gathered?" Slade asked, turning a casual eye to them all.

Robin clenched his fists. He couldn't believe how casually the Titans seemed to be taking Slade's condescension. How were his words not infuriating them? "And I suppose you've gathered more?" Robin asked, glaring over at the man.

"Quite."

Robin gritted his teeth, not caring that the rest of the Titans were there. "Really? So, what's your plan?"

Slade's eye flashed in understanding. "My plans are my own."

"Robin, chill," Beast Boy muttered.

"We're meeting to take Malchus down," Raven reminded him.

Robin didn't know if it was Slade's words or his own lack of sleep for the past two days that set him off. "Then why are you _helping us_?!" Robin instinctively knew he'd gone too far. Glancing at the rest of the Titans, Robin shook his head and turned to leave. "I can't take this," he muttered. "Plan by yourself!"

"Going to brood in your Slade room?"

Robin turned to face Beast Boy, unable to believe what he'd heard. Granted, it was what the Titans called his crime room when they thought he was being obsessive. Also, they were partially right since the room was largely devoted to Slade and the nickname didn't bother him that much since he was so used to it. But didn't Beast Boy know that _Slade was in the room_?!


	15. Decision

Robin left before doing something he'd regret. Beast Boy's words, however, rang true. Within minutes, Robin did find himself in his Sl — crime room. He locked the door for good measure before turning and facing the table in the center of the room where all his information on Slade lay. Unfortunately, all this room did was remind him of his archenemy.

Why was he here? Why did he want to help them defeat Malchus? What was he planning? How did he know so much? And why did he care? Something inside Robin snapped, and he flipped the table over with a scream, not caring that the noise carried halfway to the other side of Jump City.

Still burning with anger, Robin leaned against a wall and tried to catch his breath. For several minutes, Robin remained like that, thankful that the Titans had the sense to leave him alone. Or at least, he thought they did. He was aware that the door had opened and he groaned, keeping his eyes closed and waiting for Cyborg to berate him for the way he'd acted.

"Interesting choice of decoration."

Robin froze, then turned slowly to face Slade, his entire body trembling. "Get out," he whispered.

Slade however, merely walked further into the room, picking a gadget off the floor and inspecting it with a casual glance. "I don't know whether to be flattered or disturbed."

Robin's anger was so great that he could barely think straight. "Get out and get your filthy hands off that," Robin growled, his voice steadily rising.

Slade's eye glowed. "If I am not mistaken, I was the one who gave you this."

" _Get out_!" Robin roared, leaping toward Slade and pulling out his bow staff in a single

motion. "Now!"

Slade deflected the blow and pushed Robin up against the wall. "Would you have me leave, Robin? Would you choose to face Malchus on your own? Is that what you desire?"

Robin, practically blinded by rage, realized that Slade was giving him an ultimatum. He knew that the Titans couldn't defeat Malchus themselves, but to actually need Slade's help wasn't something that Robin thought he could deal with. Nevertheless, Robin knew that he had to make a decision. With a scream that was more like a roar, Robin took his bow staff in both hands and slammed it into the wall next to Slade, purposely avoiding him. Upon impact, the staff broke in half. Robin, not bothering to pick up the shattered remains of his weapon, raced from the room and into the Tower living room, ignoring the Titans. He accessed the Tower's sound system and turned the music to maximum, drowning out both the Titans' questions and his own thoughts. He'd made his decision, and he stuck by it. If only to defeat Malchus and prove to himself that this was something he could actually do. He would win. Not Slade.

After an hour of allowing the music to calm his anger, Robin shut off the music, opened his mouth wide to make sure he wasn't deaf, then turned to see all the Titans except for Starfire standing behind him. "What's up, guys?"

"Fixed your bow staff," Cyborg said, handing him the weapon.

Robin blinked, yawning slightly. "Thanks."

"Are you sleeping okay?" Raven asked.

Robin yawned again, nodding. "I'm fine. Where's Slade?"

The Titans exchanged a look.

"He and Starfire are training," Cyborg said.

Robin nodded. "Right. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Okay," Beast Boy said. "Night, dude."

Leaving the dining room and entering his own bedroom, Robin pinched the bridge of his nose in tiredness before lying down on his bed. Another night of no sleep. Considering how things were going, it was possible that he might get used to it. Not really, since sleep was quite necessary to the human body, but maybe if Robin thought of it that way, it wouldn't infect his body and mind so much.

The noise in the Tower stilled after a while, and Robin vaguely wondered what he would do with his third night of wakefulness. Sitting up, Robin remembered the cameras he'd placed in Slade's room earlier that same day. Accessing his computer, Robin checked on each camera but was confused when he saw no Slade in the room. It was late; Slade should've been asleep. Why wasn't he in his room? He did sleep; that was a fact, but —

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

Robin whirled around, so surprised to see Slade that he fell off the chair he'd been sitting at. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"If my room is not off-limits to you, then why should yours be to me?"

Robin quickly closed his computer then turned back to Slade, avoiding the man's gaze. "I haven't been in your room—"

"If you are under the impression that you can compromise the security of my accommodations without my knowledge, you are a fool." Slade's eye was now glowing.

Robin blushed. "Well, now that you know, can you get out?" he growled.

Slade said nothing, but after a moment he tossed something to Robin. Robin, in the middle of another yawn, barely managed to catch it.

"What is this?" Robin asked, looking down at his hand and seeing a small, clear pill there.

"That will allow you exactly eight hours of dreamless sleep," Slade said. "Considering your exhaustion over the past few days, I suggest you take it."

Robin flushed and turned away from Slade. "I don't need your help," he said rather loudly.

"And yet you contacted me with exactly that in mind," Slade said.

Robin blinked, too tired to put up much of a fight. "Just get out." He thought he heard Slade chuckle behind him.

"Try not to enter the wrong room this time, Robin."

Only after Slade had left did Robin throw a batarang at the now-closed door. He sat down and rubbed his eyes, looking again at the pill Slade had given him. He tossed it onto his bedside table without a second thought. It was probably poison, anyway. There was no way Slade

would . . . help him . . .

Yet, that was exactly what he was doing. He was helping the Titans, his _enemies_ , take down Malchus. It didn't make any sense at all. Robin yawned again and lay down on his bed, looking again at the pill Slade had given him. Maybe he should take it. If Slade wanted him dead, he probably would've died back when he was the man's apprentice. That, and Robin was now so tired that he felt like he was going to be sick. He was so desperate to sleep that he was willing to try anything or trust anyone.

Picking up the pill, Robin swallowed it. He sat there for a few moments before he realized that nothing was happening. He sighed. Of course it didn't work. Now all that was inside him was something he knew nothing about. If Robin had been more aware, he might've gone to the Titans and told them what'd happened: that Slade had poisoned him. But Robin simply got up, retrieved his batarang from the door, and went back to his computer.

He didn't have to check on the cameras to know that Slade had, by now, disabled them all. He simply stared at his computer screen, wishing with all that was within him that he could fall asleep. He wondered if lack of sleep could drive him mad. He, the leader of the Titans, going mad because of lack of sleep. Huh.

If he went to Raven with his concerns, would she be able to help him? Would her meditative techniques help him sleep? He'd watched Raven meditate before, and it always made him very tired watching her. Maybe it would help him sleep. Or maybe if he went to Starfire and had her talk to him for the next hour, the sound of her voice would lull him into dreamland. Perhaps Beast Boy could turn into a songbird and sing him to sleep. Or maybe Cyborg could hook him up to some sort of machine that induced sleep.

Pulling himself up, Robin staggered to the door of his room, about to leave and find one of the Titans when a sudden wave of tiredness hit him. He let out a shuddering groan and turned around, barely able to lie down on his bed before sleep overtook him.


	16. Giving In

The sun shone bright in Robin's world when he woke the next morning. He sat up, wiped his mouth, and stretched, hearing the Titans' laughter from down the hall and feeling like laughing himself. Today was a good day! A great day! And he hadn't even gotten out of bed yet!

Today was going to be the day that they were going to face Malchus. Robin was sure of it. All he needed to do was get the Titans and . . . Slade to have one more informational meeting before planning out their attack strategy. By this time tomorrow, Malchus would be destroyed. The Titans would be victorious, and Slade would be back to being the enemy. At least . . . no, Slade was the enemy.

Leaping from bed, Robin never felt better in his life. Practically bouncing on his way to eat breakfast, Robin grinned as he entered the room, sitting down beside the Titans as he devoured his breakfast.

"Good morning, Robin," Starfire said.

"Morning, Star," Robin said. "Hey, Beast Boy." He reached over and punched Beast Boy on the shoulder. "Did you sleep as well as I did?"  
"Fine," Beast Boy growled.

Robin blinked, then looked over at Cyborg who seemed to be likewise aloof and angry. Then he glanced at Starfire, shrugging. "What'd I do?"

"Your lack of sleep has made you not the nicest," Starfire said.

"That's a kind way of putting it," Beast Boy muttered.

Robin blinked again. Lack of sleep over the past few days left his memory clouded and vague, but he could remember bits and pieces of himself snapping at the Titans. Now his perfect day was marred with guilt. Sighing, Robin knew he'd have to apologize. "Look, guys, I . . . I just . . . sorry."

Almost instantly, the atmosphere brightened.

"Don't worry about it, dude," Beast Boy said, punching him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, it's cool," Cyborg said.

Robin nodded and smiled, glad things were back to normal. He looked around and noticed that Slade wasn't present. "Where's Slade?"

"Training," Raven said.

Robin nodded, slightly irritated that no one was keeping an eye on him but letting it slide nonetheless. His mood was too good. "Hey, could we have a meeting after breakfast?"

All the Titans exchanged looks of caution.

"Look, I'll promise not to lose my temper this time," Robin said. "I want this to be our final meeting before facing Malchus. I want to face him tonight."  
Cyborg dropped a sausage into his lap. "Tonight?"

"Are you certain?" Starfire asked.

Robin nodded. "The longer we wait, the more Malchus will destroy Jump City."

"Are you sure we're ready?" Raven asked.

"Yes," Robin said. "We're the Titans, Raven. We can face Malchus—"

"I wasn't talking about Malchus," Raven said, glancing toward the Tower door.

Robin blinked, then sighed once he saw the direction she was looking and realized what she was talking about. "Yes. We can do this, team." He got up and went to the training room. All things considered, it was quite amazing that Slade wanted to help at all. Robin knew him to be a villain, but maybe things really _did_ change. Maybe, in order to take Malchus down, Robin had to finally take the Titans' advice. He breathed in as he mulled it over. In truth, he'd rather face Malchus alone and get himself killed, but he knew that wasn't an option. He had to do this. He had to. Now in the training room, Robin located Slade, agile as ever. "Slade?"

Slade's eye flicked over to him, but he said nothing.

"Could we have a meeting now?" he asked, staring at the far wall of the training room. "I want to take on Malchus tonight." Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw that Slade had paused his training and was now looking straight at him.

"Impressive," Slade said.

Robin looked up at Slade, not understanding the man's word but not bothering to ask; Malchus was the current issue. "Can we do this?"

Slade nodded lightly.

Turning, Robin walked out of the room, feeling Slade fall into step beside him. They joined the Titans in the dining room.

"So what's the plan?" Cyborg asked once they, including Slade, were all gathered around the database system.

Robin clenched his jaw, then, for the first and last time in his life, deferred to his enemy. "What do you think we should do?"

The man's eye glowed as Robin had never seen before. Slade stepped forward. "Today will not be the day of Malchus's demise."

Robin blinked and opened his mouth to complain, but Slade continued.

"This will not be a real fight. It will be merely a practice battle to make certain that we can effectively work together. We will also use this battle to study Malchus's techniques and spot any additional weaknesses."

"What weaknesses does Malchus have?" Beast Boy asked.

"Though Malchus's power is impressive, his coordination and speed are both lacking," Slade said. "As is his mental capacity."

"But he's got the Brain," Beast Boy said. "Isn't that enough?"

"Who overlooked the fact that combining himself with average intelligence reduces his intellect to the median."

"What's a median?" Beast Boy asked.

"It means that Malchus can only be as smart as the stupidest person he's combined with," Raven said.

Beast Boy blinked, then began laughing. "Then we've got a good chance!"

"Does he have any other physical weaknesses?" Raven asked.

"In addition to what I've already stated, Malchus possesses another weakness," Slade said. "When in his multiplication form, his actual form blinks once before all the copies rejoin his body . . ."

The Titans listened intently to Slade's description of Malchus, practically hanging on his every word. Robin's mouth was slightly open as he listened to the information Slade was giving them, simultaneously surprised that he was telling them so much and amazed that he knew it all.

"Okay, now that we know everything we can about our enemy," Cyborg said a few minutes later, "how are we going to fight him?"

"You will follow my orders," Slade said.

At these words, the entire team stiffened. All eyes were on Robin now, and he knew that he had to make the decision for the team. Breathing out, Robin chose. They had already tried a hero's way. Maybe it was time to try a villain's. "All right."

The rest of the team nodded, and Robin hoped that he was making the right decision.

Slade nodded, then reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew five communicators that looked identical to the one Robin had used when he'd been Slade's apprentice. "We will use these for communication on the battlefield."

Cyborg paused before taking one. "Are you sure? We had communicators, too, but Malchus took them permanently offline because of Gizmo."

Slade merely chuckled. "They are protected from such tampering."

"Really?" Cyborg asked, blinking. "How?"

But Slade didn't answer. "We will regroup on your Tower's rooftop at twenty-two hundred hours."

The Titans exchanged glances, then nodded. The meeting ended, and several hours later, the

Titans were standing on the rooftop, waiting for Slade.

At exactly twenty-two hundred hours, Slade leapt down from his perch on the door that led out to the rooftop, startling the Titans. They hadn't even seen him waiting there.

"We're ready," Robin said.

Slade rose and faced Jump City, and the lights below illuminated his body. "Now," he said, "we attack."


	17. First Battle

The five Titans followed Slade into Jump City, trying to mimic his abilities to make no sound and effortlessly keep to the shadows. Though for Robin, being Slade's apprentice had taught him much, the other Titans had more trouble. Due to Cyborg's being almost all metal, it was impossible for him to move soundlessly. Starfire moved soundlessly enough, but her fiery red hair made it difficult for her to disappear into the shadows. Raven and Beast Boy both performed surprisingly well, though not even Robin himself could melt into the shadows and move as soundlessly as Slade could, even with all of Batman's training behind him. Being a villain gave him the advantage of lifelong experience.

Finally, Malchus was spotted. Slade directed the Titans to hide before taking cover himself.

"Remember," Slade's voice came through the communicator, "you will use this battle to study Malchus's techniques and weaknesses."

"Right," Robin said, hearing the rest of the Titans acknowledge as well.

"Robin, attack," Slade said.

Robin jumped from his hiding spot, throwing several bombs and having them detonate on Malchus's back. Malchus roared in frustration and turned around, and for the first time, Robin saw Malchus's eyes flash with the eyes of Jinx moments before the attack raced toward him. "Jinx," he spoke into the communicator.

"Azarathian," Slade said.

Raven was in front of Robin in an instant. She put up a shield that protected Robin from the hex, and they both dived out of the way as Malchus's eyes flashed Mammoth's color. "Mammoth," Raven said.

"Metal one," Slade said.

Cyborg was there in an instant, his fist colliding with Malchus's own and stifling the attack. "Rouge," Cyborg said.

"Tamaranian."

Starfire descended from the sky, firing bolt after bolt and performing an impressive display of loops in order to dodge Rouge's attacks. "Mallah," Starfire said.

"Shape-shifter."

Beast Boy was there in an instant, his own gorilla form putting up an impressive fight against Mallah's strength. "Billy Numerous," Beast Boy said.

"Myself." Slade jumped onto the battlefield, his single eye sweeping the multitude that surrounded him. Suddenly he launched a kick on a single Malchus, and that Malchus pulled all his other copies into his body as he was thrown backwards. Slade flipped out of the way, already stating the next attack that was coming. "Seemore. Metal one."

Cyborg raced onto the scene, using his sonic cannon against Seemore's laser before successfully getting a hit in. "Jinx."

"Azarathian."

Raven rose from the ground below, blocking the hex momentarily before shooting a black wave of magic toward Jinx. She was about to retreat, but Slade continued his orders.

"Fell that building."

Saying her choice incantation, Raven felled the building so that it crashed over Malchus. The entire team was ready for more, but Slade had other plans.

"Fall back."

"What?" Robin asked. "Are you—"

"But we're winning!" Beast Boy said.

" _Fall back_ ," Slade said again.

Robin glanced over at his team, then shrugged and fled with Slade before Malchus could extract himself from the rubble. Within minutes, all six were back at the Tower.

"Why did we leave?" Beast Boy asked. "We were winning!"

"It was not a battle to win," Slade said.

Though Robin hadn't liked the fact that they retreated, it'd been much better than getting beaten up as when they'd fought Malchus previously.

"We did learn a lot," Raven said.

"And we kicked some Malchus," Cyborg said.

"Tomorrow will be a true battle, and we will fight to win," Slade said. "We will engage the enemy at twenty hundred hours."

"Then Malchus will be gone and things will go back to normal," Starfire said.

All the Titans paused at this for a moment, then they all shook their heads. Yes, things would return to normal. Slade would return to being a villain, and the Titans, heroes. Slade left the room soon after, and the Titans then found themselves alone.

"That was one awesome battle," Beast Boy said. "Did you see the way I took on Mallah?"

Robin nodded, almost finding their recent battle unbelievable. It wasn't their excellent battling skills that had amazed him. What he was astonished about was the fact that Slade had really assisted them in battle. He'd thought that the man would simply allow them to fight on their own or not even participate. But he'd done both, no, he'd done more than that. Thanks to Slade, they now had a fighting chance against Malchus.

It was inconceivable, but the truth stared Robin in the face as clearly as a reflection. Slade was helping them, and Robin was even more dumbfounded to realize that both he and the Titans were beginning to trust the man. This was a man who made his life out of killing, stealing, and manipulating. Was this just another one of Slade's tricks?

It was hard to imagine that such a situation as this would really be simple manipulation. If it was, Slade was playing his cards perfectly. Beyond perfectly — Robin was starting to trust him. It couldn't be fake; _no one_ was this good.

Did that mean that Slade's actions were . . . genuine? Robin didn't know, but he knew that he would have his answer by this time tomorrow. After Malchus was defeated, Slade's true colors would show. Then the team would see if he'd really changed or if it'd just been another one of his lies. Until then, Robin would have to wait.


	18. Relocation

The time was now. Twenty hundred hours was here, and Robin, hiding in the shadows of a building, knew that they were moments away from engaging Malchus in battle.

"We attack now."

Cyborg was the first to rush forward. He shot several blasts from his sonic cannon before falling back as Overload's eyes flashed on Malchus's face.

Beast Boy came next, diving from the sky as a crow and quickly changing into an electric eel who turned Overload's attack against him. Raven rose as Jinx's eyes flashed, blocking her attack with a wave of magic that knocked Malchus off his feet.

Robin, following the plan Slade had laid out earlier that day, was next. Slade had given each

Titan a specific face of Malchus to attack, so that that one person was always met with the same Titan. All that was left was to inform the others what form Malchus would take next, which was exceedingly easy because of Slade's communication system.

As Rouge's eyes flashed, Starfire rose and beat her back through sheer willpower and starbolts. Malchus took a step backward, and Robin's heart leapt. Were they actually winning?

Just as Jinx's eyes flashed in Malchus's face, Raven rose to meet the attack, but Slade shouted out a different command.

"Shape-shifter, attack by changing into a rabbit."

"What?" Beast Boy asked.

" _Now_!"

Beast Boy obeyed, changing and racing toward Jinx just as she prepared her attack. Suddenly, Jinx's eyes flashed more strongly on Malchus's face, and for some reason, she began screaming.

Though Robin and the rest of the Titans had no idea why this was happening, none of them could rest as Malchus's eyes changed once again. The moment Seemore's eyes flashed, Slade himself stepped forward. He used his bow staff to deflect Malchus's own laser, but a well-placed strike from Malchus knocked Slade off his feet. Suddenly, Malchus shot another laser through Jump City.

"NO!" Raven screamed.

Robin, not understanding, turned and was horrified to see that Malchus's laser was heading straight for the Tower. He could only watch as the laser struck the Tower, and in an instant, the Tower exploded.

"The Tower!" Cyborg shouted.

The Titans, no longer caring whether or not they defeated Malchus, fled the battlefield. They raced over to the Tower, hoping with all their might that they could save their home, but it was too late. By the time they arrived, the Tower was beginning to collapse.

"No!" Cyborg shouted, falling to his knees and slamming his fists into the ground. "I put the security shield in place before we left! This shouldn't have happened!"

"Well, it did happen," Raven said bitterly.

"Where are we going to live now?" Beast Boy asked. "What are we going to do?"

"It seems that Malchus has grown stronger during your battles," Slade said, walking toward them. "Perhaps his laser was too powerful for your defense system."

"My defense system is fine," Cyborg growled at Slade. "You're the one who let this happen! How could you let Seemore disable you?"

Slade blinked and said nothing, but Starfire intervened.

"Friend, Slade has helped us so far," she said. "I do not think it was his intention for our Tower to be destroyed."

Cyborg turned away. "I just . . . can't believe the Tower's gone."

Robin stared out at their crumbling home, swallowing a lump in his throat. All the memories, gone in an instant. It'd only taken one shot by Malchus to literally bring their entire world down.

"What will we do now?" Starfire asked.

"Is there somewhere else we could go?" Raven asked.

"But where?" Beast Boy asked, slight bitterness in his voice. "It's not like we have another Tower on the other side of Jump City. It'd take too long to build another one."

"And if we wait too long," Raven said, "Malchus will find and destroy us."

The Titans were now all looking at Robin, and Robin didn't know what to say. He opened his

mouth then closed it.

"It seems that a relocation is in order," Slade said, walking away. "Come."

Robin glanced after Slade, then to the Tower, and finally, the Titans. The Tower was gone. Their home was gone. There was nothing else they could do, and if they stayed here, with no protection, Malchus would annihilate them. Breathing in, Robin nodded and followed Slade.

The Titans followed Slade to his previous lair. Robin couldn't help tensing as he entered, remembering his time as the man's apprentice.

"Is this where your new lair is?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade said nothing, but he simply flipped over a small gear, accessed a panel, and entered a password. Robin felt the ground beneath him move slightly and saw that a hidden door had appeared in the floor itself. Slade pulled this door open and leapt into the darkness. Robin, glancing at the Titans, followed. The fall was quite far, and Robin's body jolted when he hit the ground, but he rolled to his feet and stood up with minimal damage. He was now so far underground that it felt as if he needed to acclimatize himself to the air.

"We're a couple thousand feet down," Cyborg said, checking his sensors.

"It is cold and dark," Starfire said, shivering slightly.

"Nice place to live," Raven said.

"At least it can't get destroyed," Beast Boy said, a bit bitterly.

"Come on, we've got to follow him," Robin said, taking the lead. Walking farther into the darkness, Robin's eyes could barely adjust to the light and, consequently, he nearly bumped into Slade. Robin glanced over at the man, wondering why he wasn't moving any farther. Robin was about to take a step forward when Slade put an arm out to stop him.

"I am disabling the security systems," Slade said.

Robin blinked, not thinking that Slade had such things.

"Really? What are they powered by?" Cyborg asked.

Slade didn't answer but walked forward in the darkness, leaving the Titans alone. Robin, shrugging at the rest of the Titans, took three steps forward before Slade once again appeared in front of him, pushing him backwards.

"Did you receive my permission to follow?" Slade asked. "Remain unless you would rather be killed."

Robin, blushing slightly, stepped backward and waited with the rest of the team.

"Dude, you feel that?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin blinked, then felt his skin begin to tingle ever so slightly. The darkness seemed to have taken on a strange blue tinge, and Robin was about to ask the Titans what they thought it was when Slade spoke.

"Follow."

The Titans walked forward, crossing quite a long stretch of what Robin considered to be a hallway before stopping at a door.

"Is this your . . . Tower?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade nodded, then entered one more password on the door in front of him before giving a voice recognition key and opening the door.

The room the Titans entered was enormous. It'd been hollowed out of the rock itself, and heat had changed the rock to steel. At first, Robin thought that the room was empty. When his eyes adjusted to the light change, however, he saw that an entire end of the room was covered in multiple gadgets hanging on the wall. Another end of the room held a massive gear system that apparently gave light to the entire underground complex. The third end of the room held another

door which led to a thus-far unknown area.

"You have a lot of weapons," Cyborg said.

Slade, not responding, crossed the room to the door opposite them. He opened the door, walked through it, and motioned for the Titans to follow. The Titans found themselves in a room quite similar to the first, but with four hallways branching out from it on each side of the room. Slade, still walking forward, stopped in the center of the room, then pointed down the hallway to his right. "Training." He pointed down another hallway. "Sustenance." He motioned to the final one. "Rest." Then, Slade turned and began walking down the fourth unnamed hallway next to the door he'd entered through.

"Wait, what's down that hallway?" Cyborg asked.

"It is confidential," Slade said.

Robin blinked, and he could see curiosity sparkle in all of his teammates' eyes.

"Wait, food, sleep, training," Beast Boy muttered. "Do you have a TV?"

Slade turned away from the Titans. "Training will commence at seven hundred hours tomorrow. Then, planning of Malchus's ultimate demise will commence." He left without another word.

"No television! No video games!" Beast Boy complained. "I'm gonna die!"

"I do not feel the urge to sleep or train," Starfire said. "Would any of you enjoy the consumption of foods?"

"Yeah, pizza, baby!" Cyborg shouted. Within seconds, all the Titans were running toward the dining room. When they arrived at their destination, however, Robin saw that the room held only the essentials. Nothing more than a fridge, a table, and, this surprised Robin, eight chairs.

"Maybe he has the company often," Starfire said.

"Very minimalistic," Raven said.

Beast Boy rubbed his hands together. "Let's see what's for dinner!" he said, walking over to the fridge and opening it up. His face fell when he looked inside, and the Titans joined him to see what Slade actually kept around for food.

"Water?!" Cyborg shouted. "All this guy's got is water?"

"There's not even any tea," Raven said, her voice slightly crestfallen.

"What are we supposed to eat?" Cyborg roared.

Robin frowned, then tapped his communicator to contact Slade. "Slade?"

"Yes?"

"There's no food here," Robin said.

"Just water!" Cyborg said, now on his knees sobbing. "No chicken, ribs, or burgers! What about pork chops?"

"What's there to eat?" Robin asked.

"Your required nutrients is on the table in the dining room," Slade responded. "You will consume no more than one at each meal."


	19. The Training Room

Robin and the rest of the Titans turned, and they saw five small white cubes sitting on the table that they hadn't noticed before.

"No, way!" Cyborg said, turning his nose up at the food. "There's no way I'm eating that! I need real food! Meat!"

Beast Boy though, after the initial shock, was the first to walk over to the dining table and pick up a cube. "Looks like tofu," he said. Then he sniffed it. "Smells like tofu." With a glance at the rest of the Titans, he popped the cube into his mouth. "Dude! This tastes almost exactly like tofu!"

"So it tastes like nothing," Raven said.

"These are delicious!" Beast Boy raved, swiping up the other four to devour.

"If you consume more than is required," Slade's voice suddenly cut through their communicators, "you will overdose on essential minerals and poison yourself."

Beast Boy froze, then threw the rest of the cubes down with a bit of a sulk.

"There's no way I'm eating that," Cyborg said, shaking his head. "Who's up for a trip out for some pizza?"

"Are you sure Slade would allow it?" Starfire asked.

"He doesn't own us!" Cyborg said. "If we want to go out, then we can go out."

"Just be sure to avoid Malchus," Raven said.

All the Titans swallowed, and Cyborg tapped into his communicator.

"We're going out for pizza."

They waited for several seconds with baited breaths, wondering if Slade wouldn't allow them to go. Robin couldn't believe what they were doing. To actually ask their . . . enemy for permission to leave for dinner; what was going on?

"You may leave."

Robin shook off the feeling and grinned at the rest of the Titans before running back the way they came. All five of the Titans paused momentarily in front of the confidential hallway.

"What do you think is down there?" Beast Boy asked.

"Don't know," Cyborg said, stepping forward and reaching a hand out, "but he's programmed a force field around the entrance."

"So we can't check it out?" Beast Boy asked, slightly depressed.

"Let's just get some pizza, team," Robin said. The five continued on out of Slade's lair and into Jump City above. It took them twice as long to get to their pizza joint however, since Malchus was still around.

"I don't know if it's worth it," Beast Boy panted as they hid in the shadows of another building as Malchus passed by.

"This is pizza!" Cyborg hissed. "Pizza's always worth it."

However, their usually calm dinner was marred with continual glances over their shoulder and intense panic when they heard a nearby scream.

"I hate not being able to do anything!" Cyborg said, slamming his fist on the table. "I — Beast Boy, aren't you hungry?"

Robin turned to see that his usually-ravenous friend had only taken a single bite from a slice of his favorite veggie pizza.

Beast Boy shrugged. "I'm actually really full, guys."

"Full?" Starfire asked. "But you had only one bite of the pizza."

"Whatever's in that stuff Slade eats, dude, it's—"

The Titans were so focused on their pizza and conversation that they didn't notice Malchus's approach until it was too late. Robin turned and saw one of Seemore's lasers firing toward them, and with a shout he dove off his chair, screaming, "Run!"

The Titans were barely able to avoid the laser that cut the entire building in half.

Cyborg landed on the ground below, with a cry of, "Not the pizza!"

For several moments, the Titans stood facing Malchus, considering. Then Robin, remembering their luck in defeating Malchus so far, began to run back toward Slade's lair. "Fall back!" he shouted.

The Titans took off, and Robin was surprised to see Beast Boy leading the charge toward safety. Somehow, while in cheetah form he seemed to be able to move faster than even Starfire. Within minutes, they were back in Slade's lair. Robin, moving the gear again, came to the panel and paused, not knowing the password and not wanting to enter an incorrect one for fear that it might set off a security system.

"Enter," Slade said through Robin's communicator.

Robin felt the ground move, and the Titans, hearing Malchus somewhere outside, leapt into the darkness below without a second thought. They didn't stop running until they were inside the main room of the compound, then Robin collapsed.

"We have avoided the enemy," Starfire said.

"Malchus came out of nowhere," Raven panted.

"Come on, you guys are tired?" Beast Boy asked, still on his feet and not tired in the slightest.

"How can you not be?" Robin asked, wheezing a bit.

"Uh, I think that pizza's coming back up!" Cyborg groaned.

"Should've eaten those tofu cubes," Beast Boy said, possessing an incredible amount of energy despite the fact that the team had just run ten or so miles straight. "Wanna check out the training room?"

The Titans groaned but followed him anyway, not having anything better to do. The hallway branched outward in a parallel fashion as they neared the training room, and the Titans saw a bathroom on their left and a door on their right. Beast Boy pulled this door open and the team stepped into a room that was large and entirely blank. The Titans were not impressed.

"This is boring," Beast Boy said. "Hello?"

 _Hello_.

Suddenly, the room became alit with a computer screen. The Titans looked at one another, then back to the screen.

 _Please choose your training method_.

Robin looked at the options given them. There were four files to choose from. One was labeled manual, another, training, the third, survival, and the last, apocalypse.

"What do you think apocalypse is?" Cyborg asked.

 _Apocalypse selected_. _Choose your level of difficulty_.

Robin looked at the fifty levels they could choose from, but he gave a warning glance to his friends. "Don't say anything," Robin muttered. "We don't know what to expect—"

 _Level two, selected_. _Survive as long as you can_.

"Wait, no!" Cyborg shouted.

Robin saw at least four dozen lasers come out of the walls of the training room, honing in on him and his friends using red laser sights. He leapt to dodge them but was unable to avoid a circular saw blade that shot out of the wall. It cut his shoulder, and he landed on all fours, rolling to avoid another laser shot.

"Azarath, Metrion—" Raven's incantation was stifled as a laser shot hit her in the back, bringing her down. Starfire ascended and tried to blast one of many laser shooters, but a laser hit her as well before she was successful. Beast Boy, turning into a ram, leapt and managed to hit one of the laser mechanisms, rendering it inoperable.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy said. But in an instant, the mechanism withdrew only to replace itself with a device that shot out electricity. "Not sweet!"

"What kind of training simulation is this?" Cyborg asked, leaping up and pulling a laser out of the wall.

"Don't know," Robin said, "but—"

 _Raising difficulty_. _Level three_.

"Wait, we're not ready!" Beast Boy shouted.

Each laser in the room had two arms project from either side, suddenly giving the laser the ability to shoot three shots at once. Robin, seeing more laser sights on his body, took out his bow staff and began dodging for his life. Circular saw blades were now shooting toward them from every angle, and Robin threw a smoke bomb in the room, hoping this would cloak himself and his friends. All this did, however, was make it difficult for the Titans to see. Since Slade's technology tracked apparently by heat instead of sight, Robin's smoke bomb did little to stem the flow of attacks.

"This ends now!" Starfire shouted, rising in a rage and using her powers to destroy half of the lasers while Raven took the other half. The team landed, panting, when the lasers replaced themselves with electricity producers. Electricity flowed through the room, shocking the Titans briefly before the flow of electricity swung upward, connecting with all the other currents to form an impenetrable barrier above their heads while simultaneously preventing both Starfire and Raven from flying. Robin was aware that the ground beneath his feet was breaking, and he looked and saw that the entire floor had now changed to lava. The Titans took refuge on small rocks that still remained in the sea of lava, but these rocks were only large enough for one person to stand on using one foot.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven shouted, firing a wave of magic at the electricity above them. The current broke for a moment, then reformed to create an impenetrable barrier.

Starfire attempted using her powers as well, but her starbolts were merely evaporated by the electrical current above them.

"Beast Boy, go!" Robin yelled.

Beast Boy changed into a crow and took off, flying upward and changing into an electric eel just as he reached the electrical current in an attempt to overpower the flow. However, the current was unable to be stopped by Beast Boy.

"It's too strong!" Beast Boy shouted before the electricity threw him down toward the lava below.

"Beast Boy!" Robin screamed, watching his friend fall toward the deadly lava. There was no way for him to get over to Beast Boy in time, and Robin turned toward Raven, thankful to see that she was already reacting and catching Beast Boy with her powers.

"Friends, what do we do?" Starfire asked.

"I—look out!" Robin shouted. Circular saw blades shot out of the walls by the hundreds, and Robin, though injured badly by them, continued standing on his rock for dear life, not wishing to fall into the lava below.

 _Raising difficulty_. _Level four_.

"No!" Robin yelled. "Stop!"


	20. Becoming a Hero?

But the computer wasn't responding. Instantly, the electricity field swung downward, surging through the magma and creating electrical lava monsters that rose from the sea. Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at one of the monsters, putting a hole in it, but the monster simply closed up the wound with more lava.

Raven and Starfire, now both able to fly since the electrical barrier had combined with the lava to form the monsters they faced, teamed up to take a single monster down. Raven used a wave of magic to hold the monster in place while Starfire relentlessly shot bolt after bolt at the monster.

Robin was so focused on his own battle that he didn't see a second lava monster approaching

Raven and Starfire from behind them until it was too late. The creature extended his arms toward them, striking them both on the back and burning them badly. They both fell, and Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl to catch them.

"Man, how are we supposed to beat these guys?" Cyborg asked, trying to fend off two monsters that attacked him.

"We're not," Robin said, already panting with exhaustion. "We're just supposed to survive."

"What if we don't?" Beast Boy asked, carefully setting Starfire and Raven down as they tried not to succumb to their burns.

 _Raising difficulty_. _Level five_.

The Titans all exchanged looks of terror as the lava monsters disappeared, and they all wondered what was coming next. Suddenly, Robin felt the ground shake, and he turned around and saw, horrified, that a wave of pure lava was hurdling towards them.

Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire rose to defend using their long-range attacks, but electricity suddenly flooded the entire room, bringing the Titans to their knees in pain. Robin could feel the heat approaching them and he glanced at his team, shaking his head.

"Abort."

Suddenly, the lava wave crashed just short of the Titans, and the room returned to normal. The Titans, panting heavily, all looked up to see Slade standing in the doorway of the training room, his arms folded.

"Joy of joys," Starfire said, struggling to her feet and trying not to gasp in pain from her burn. "We have survived and—"

"Did you receive my permission to be here?" Slade asked.

Robin blinked, as did the rest of the Titans. They hadn't known that they had to ask his permission to train.

"Look, we're sorry," Beast Boy said, rubbing his head. "We—"

"You didn't think," Slade said. "You almost perished due to your own foolishness."

"We appreciate your help," Cyborg said, standing up, "but we weren't trying to get ourselves killed. Your training room's a bust; it didn't stop when we told it—"

"In order to stop the simulation, you need only to say, 'abort.' Did you bother to even read the instructions?" Slade asked.

All the Titans were now blushing. That thought hadn't even crossed their minds.

Slade turned to leave. "Injury or no injury, training will still commence at seven hundred hours. Do not be late."

"What a jerk," Beast Boy muttered under his breath after Slade had left.

"He did save us," Starfire said.

"But he acts like we need to ask his permission for everything!" Beast Boy growled. "Letting him know when we leave the lair is one thing, but permission to train? What's next, do I have to ask him if I can go to sleep or brush my teeth?"

"Don't worry about it," Raven said, already in the process of healing the rest of the team. "Once Malchus is defeated, we'll be able to go back to our normal lives."

"Like video games," Beast Boy said dreamily.

"Barbecue," Cyborg said.

"The bright decorations," Starfire said.

"And books," Raven said.

Robin rose painfully, catching his breath before turning to the Titans. "You guys up for sleep?"

"I'm dead on my feet," Cyborg said.

"The sleep would be nice," Starfire said.

Robin nodded, automatically tapping his communicator and informing Slade of their next decision. "Slade, we're going to bed."

"Your rooms are prepared."

The Titans left the training room, closing the door tightly and making their way toward their bedrooms. On their way to bed, Beast Boy laughed a bit.

"Hey, look, guys. Another bathroom," he said, pointing to the one they passed.

"It's more than the Tower has," Cyborg said. Then his face fell. "Had."

"Do not worry, friends," Starfire said. "We will rebuild the Tower to be just as it was before!"

The Titans continued walking down the hallway, passing by doors that slid open just as they did at the Tower. Each room was a bedroom, and the Titans counted seven bedrooms in all until they came to a bedroom at the end of the hallway that wouldn't open.

"Probably Slade's room," Cyborg said, glancing at the panel next to the door.

"Don't you wonder if he keeps any extra masks in there?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin, though curiosity surged through him, turned away from the door, remembering what'd happened the last time he'd entered Slade's room. "I'm going to bed, guys."

The rest of the Titans, not wanting to get on Slade's bad side any more than they already had, followed Robin and picked out their bedrooms.

"I pick this room!" Beast Boy said, running into the room and staking his claim.

"Beast Boy, all the rooms are the same," Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"No, this is the best room," Beast Boy said with a grin. "This is _my_ room."

"Don't get too comfy," Cyborg said. "Tomorrow Malchus will be gone and we'll have our Tower back."

"How am I supposed to be the comfy when it is so dark and gloomy here?" Starfire asked with a shudder.

Raven shrugged. "I could get used to this."

Robin, bidding his friends goodnight, chose his bedroom and walked inside. Like everything else in Slade's lair, Robin's bedroom contained only the essentials. A bed in one corner and an alarm clock on the floor next to the bed. The room contained no dresser, no mirror, and no closet. Not that they had any clothes anyway. Robin groaned and stretched as he sat down on his bed, slightly surprised that it had both a blanket and a pillow. He set his alarm then lay down on the bed, blinking as he considered. It was almost unreal to think that he was now in Slade's lair as a free Titan. They weren't being held here against their will, and they weren't being forced to stay. It was a drastic change from Robin's former apprentice days, and Robin didn't know whether he trusted this change or not. Sitting up, Robin went to his door and placed a hand out, seeing the door open as it sensed motion. He withdrew his hand, and the door closed. He did this five more times before shaking his head. He really was free. They all were. They were working under — no — alongside their greatest enemy. Now both sides were willing to cooperate with each other. It was insane, and Robin pinched himself to make sure this wasn't all just a very strange dream.

The Titans, somehow, seemed to not be as unnerved by this as he was. They were Slade's enemies as well, true, but they didn't know Slade like he did. They hadn't been the man's apprentice; they didn't witness firsthand all the horrible things he could do. But maybe the Titans were right. Maybe Robin was just being a bit paranoid and untrustworthy. Slade _had_ , in fact, helped them spot many of Malchus's weakness and assisted them in developing a fighting style that was second to none against their villain.

Their villain . . . did that mean that Slade was no longer a villain himself? Robin shook his head, gritting his teeth before sitting back down on his bed. Slade was a horrible villain. That went without being said, but that was then. Now it seemed as though he were willing to help the Titans. He was a criminal mastermind whose only desire was to take over Jump City, but he was helping them save Jump City. He was a man who wanted the Titans dead, yet he'd broken them out of Malchus's prisons and prevented them from getting themselves killed in his training room.

He wanted the Titans captured and under his control, but the Titans were walking free in his own lair. He was untrustworthy, but he was gaining the Titans' trust. Was it all a lie? Was everything Robin thought he knew about Slade . . . changing? Was the man really trustworthy? Was Slade really becoming a hero?

Robin didn't know what to think any more. It felt as though everything he knew about everything was beginning to fall apart. Slade wasn't acting like a villain. The Titans were _working with him_. Was this for real? What was going on? And why was Robin starting to trust his greatest enemy?

The sound of footsteps drawing near alerted Robin. Leaping out of his room, Robin stood in the hallway and watched Slade walk toward him. As Slade approached, Robin stared up at his face, trying to read the man's mind and know why all this was happening. Why was Slade doing this? Why was he helping them? Though Robin watched Slade pass by, he knew that he would get nowhere. Slade was a master at keeping his intentions, whether good or bad, always hidden.

Slade's eye flicked down to Robin as he passed, and Robin thought he saw the man's eye narrow in a sneer. Then he was gone, and Robin, none the wiser. Slade wouldn't tell him anything if he asked. He'd already stated that questions such as those were off-limits. But why was Robin actually following the man's orders? Why was he listening to his enemy?

Robin knew the answer to that. It was the same reason why the Titans were following his lead as well. Though Robin hated to admit it, he knew the truth. Sighing and blandly scuffing the sole of his boot against the floor, Robin returned to his room and lay down on his bed. He closed his eyes, vaguely wondering if the Titans were as obsessed at figuring out Slade's motives as he was.


	21. Improving Skills

The next morning, the Titans all sat in Slade's dining room, each daring the other to eat the food he'd provided for them.

"Are you sure about this, Beasty?" Cyborg asked, hesitantly glancing at the cube in his hand.

"Go for it, dude," Beast Boy said, popping his own allotment into his mouth. "It doesn't taste bad at all."

"That means it doesn't taste that good, either," Cyborg said, sulking.

Robin was the second Titan to eat his breakfast. The cube had a mild, slightly savory taste, and Robin blinked in surprise when it melted like an ice cube the instant it came into contact

with his tongue. He swallowed, then shrugged.

"Are you sure it's good?" Cyborg asked.

Robin nodded. "It's good."

Cyborg plugged his nose. "Look out, stomach!" Cyborg ate his protein supplement, closing his eyes tightly before swallowing. "Hey, this isn't that bad. I—" Cyborg suddenly sat up straighter. "Whoa, you guys feel that?"

"What?" Raven asked, eating her own breakfast as well.

"Just wait, you'll feel it," Cyborg said. "My electronics allow my body to digest things faster than you."

"It dissolves in my mouth like the candy of cotton!" Starfire said, seeming to be joyful no matter the situation.

Suddenly, Robin felt something happen in his body. For a moment, adrenaline coursed through his body, then his muscles quivered for a moment before stilling. Robin looked down at his arm and was surprised to see that it seemed slightly larger than it had moments before. "Did I just gain some muscle?" Robin asked.

"Seems like it," Cyborg said.

"We'll be a walking army at this rate," Raven said, taking a sip from her water bottle.

"What time is it, anyway?" Beast Boy asked, leaning back in his chair.

"It's — oh, man, guys!" Cyborg said, leaping up as he checked the time on his scanner. "It's two minutes after seven! We've got to go!"

The Titans raced out of the dining room, not caring that they knocked over half the table's chairs on the way out. No more than ten seconds had passed before they stood in front of Slade in the training room, all panting with their hands on their knees.

"I know we're late," Beast Boy said. "But these cowards wouldn't eat the food you gave them." Beast Boy shot an accusatory glance toward the rest of the Titans.

"You're blaming us now?" Raven growled.

Slade held up his hand. "Training will commence immediately. You will begin at level ten and the computer will record your progress and increase the level accordingly." Slade turned to leave.

"You're not going to train with us?" Robin asked.

Slade's eye glinted. "I train alone."

Now standing by themselves, the Titans turned to each other.

"Level ten?" Cyborg asked. "But there are one hundred levels to choose from!"

"Better do what Slade says," Raven said. "Remember how hard the apocalypse training was?"

Everyone swallowed, and Robin took a fighting stance as level ten was selected. He took out his bow staff for good measure.

 _Level ten, selected_. _Training simulation activated_.

Off to his right, Robin saw a line of never-ending Sladebots enter the room. He and the Titans, used to this sort of battle, began their fight, taking down wave after wave of attacking enemies. Robin thought that this fight was surprisingly easy compared to their previous apocalypse encounter, but the simulation steadily became harder as the Sladebots became smarter, more agile, and possessed more gadgets as the fight went on. After taking down some hundred robots, Robin found that they were now up against a wave of Sladebots that all possessed the ability to use shields, lasers, electricity, fire, and water. That, and the Sladebots seemed smart enough to actually work together. They were practically up against another team.

A team of three hundred.

"Cyborg, go!" Robin yelled.

Cyborg rushed forward, punching a Sladebot down but accidently allowing another one on his back. Beast Boy was there in an instant, changing from a small bug to a gorilla and ripping the Sladebot off Cyborg's back. The Sladebot managed to shock Beast Boy before Beast Boy felled him however, and Robin had to throw a bomb into the air to prevent three more robots from tackling Beast Boy. One Sladebot grabbed Robin by the leg and caught him underneath the arms, holding him as another robot hit him with a painful burst of fire. Starfire used a starbolt to free Robin, but the second robot activated his shield and prevented his own destruction. Robin saw three robots jump Starfire above him, bringing her down with a painful electric shock.

Raven faced Robin and used her powers to get the robot off him, but another Sladebot doused her with a blast of water, knocking her off her feet and preventing her from helping any further. Cyborg was facing three Sladebots, but since he was focusing on the shielded opponents in front of him, he didn't realize that another robot was creeping up behind him until a laser brought him down. Robin gritted his teeth as he saw that the enemies were still coming. This was only level _ten!_ How long did it go on for?

But the Titans, not ones to give up, continued fighting. Slowly, painfully, they began winning. Finally, Cyborg ripped the head off the last Sladebot and fell to his knees in exhaustion.

 _Level ten, passed_.

"We did it," Beast Boy panted from his prone position on the ground.

"Good job, guys," Robin said, wincing from the pain in his side from where he'd been burned.

"Your performance was adequate," Slade said, walking in just as they were recovering.

"It was easy," Beast Boy said, getting up and brushing himself off.

"What kind of technology did you use in those robots?" Cyborg asked. "They not only had multiple abilities, but they could also work together."

Slade didn't answer. "I have decided that, considering your recent tactical display, you will continue training under multiple conditions and at sequential levels before facing Malchus again."

Robin blinked. "Why?"

"Your skills need improving—"

"Are you saying we're weak?" Beast Boy growled. "We were doing just fine!" Then he turned and indicated the hundred or so Sladebots that were destroyed behind him.

"You were unable to defeat Malchus after twenty-four battles," Slade said. "You had trouble completing a level ten simulation. Until the five of you can easily complete a level fifteen simulation, your facing Malchus would have no point. You would lose."

Robin ground his teeth, hating that everything Slade said was the truth. The Titans shrugged, not being able to come up with any sort of contradiction.

"You will report back for another training session at fifteen hundred hours. You are dismissed."

The Titans left and collapsed in the dining room, still thoroughly exhausted from their training.

"And we've got to train again in a couple hours?" Beast Boy groaned and laid his head on the table. "I can't do it!"

"We've got to if we want to take Malchus down," Robin said.

"I'd rather just go face him now," Beast Boy said.

"And get beaten just like before?" Raven asked.

The Titans sighed and sat back, not daring to move and having Raven use her powers to get water bottles from the fridge so they wouldn't have to get up. The five remained like that until fifteen hundred hours. Then they got up and dragged themselves back to the training room.

"We're here, Slade," Robin said, trying to hide his exhaustion.

Slade glanced over his shoulder, accessing a program that differed from the one they'd used

previously. "You will be placed in a survival situation. If the simulation becomes too much for you, you may abort the program."

Robin clenched his fists. "We'll do fine," he said tightly.

Slade's eye narrowed. "Desert simulation, begin."


	22. Desert Simulation

Slade left the room, and Robin threw him a dirty glance for good measure after he left. They were the Titans! They could do anything, and they would _not_ give in and quit early. The Titans stood up straighter when Robin glanced their way, seeming to gain strength from his determination.

The room around them evaporated, quickly changing into a clear sky, blazing hot sun, and sand beneath their feet.

"Do we just sit here until it's over?" Beast Boy asked.

"There is an oasis located in the simulation," Slade said, and Robin jumped for a moment since he'd forgotten that they still all wore communicators. "Find it, and you will pass."

"That's easy!" Beast Boy said, turning into a hawk and readying himself for takeoff.

"Beast Boy, take one direction. Starfire, Raven, take two more. Me and Cyborg will take the fourth direction and check it out, then we'll all meet back here."

"How will we know where _here_ is?" Raven asked.

Robin blinked. She had a point. Thinking quickly, Robin took out his bow staff and stuck it into the ground, then took off his cape and tied it to the bow staff to act as a flag. "There," he said. "This'll be our meeting place."

The Titans nodded and took off in opposite directions, beginning their search. Robin and Cyborg began the long trek, not saying much since they wanted to conserve energy.

"Wonder how a guy who wears metal all over his body deals with a simulation like this," Cyborg said, laughing a bit.

Robin glanced over at Cyborg. "Guess we're going to find out."

Cyborg blinked, then laughed again. "Guess we will."

The pair walked on for about a half hour before turning and walking back the way they came. Robin wiped the sweat off his brow, wishing he hadn't left his cape back at their meeting site. Cyborg himself was starting to look miserable.

"Man, this heat is tough on my circuits," Cyborg muttered.

"One of the Titans will have found the oasis," Robin said. "Then it'll be done."

Robin and Cyborg were the first ones to return. Robin, thankful to get his cape back, put it on and draped it over his head, thankful for the shade. After a minute, Beast Boy returned.

"I didn't find anything," Beast Boy said, his cheeks slightly pink.

The next Titan to return was Starfire.

"I did not find anything," she said. "But I don't know what an oasis looks like."

"It's like a big lake," he said, slightly irritated by her ignorance.

"I did not see any oasis, then," she said.

By the time Raven returned, the Titans had been sitting there another ten minutes. Beast Boy,

now a camel, walked up to Raven.

"Took you long enough," Beast Boy said.

Raven ignored him. "I found it."

"The oasis?" Robin asked, slightly excited.

Raven nodded.

"Then let's go!" Robin led the charge, running for a minute before exhaustion overtook him

and he stalled to a walk.

"Running's not gonna get you there any faster, Robin," Cyborg said.

"Like you would know anything," Robin shot back.

"This heat is very hot," Starfire said.

"Wow, what an observation," Beast Boy said, rolling his eyes.

The group continued on, but the heat was starting to get to Robin. He didn't know whether he wanted to cover his arms or his head, but both were succumbing to the sun's rays.

"I'm not feeling so good," Beast Boy said some time later.

"Speak for yourself," Raven snapped.

Robin glanced over at Raven, suddenly jealous. Though she was covered in sweat, not a bit of her was sunburned, unlike everyone else.

"Man, let me see your cape," Cyborg said.

Robin's head snapped up. "What?"

"Let me see your cape," Cyborg repeated.

"No, way!" Robin said, leaping out of the way.

"Come on, man!" Cyborg said. "I'm dying here!"

"Why don't you get Raven's?" he asked. "She's doing just fine!"

"No one touches my cape," Raven said.

"So you aren't willing to take one for the team?" Robin snarled.

"Friends, you must stop the fighting," Starfire said. "The heat is hurting you all."

"And how is it not hurting you?" Robin asked.

"On my planet, our four suns are much more intense than your Earth's single one."

"Well, isn't that just great," Beast Boy said. "Unfortunately, the rest of us are just normal."

"Stop it, all of you," Raven said, wiping her brow. "The oasis is coming up."

"I can't wait for a cool drink of water," Cyborg said.

Robin squinted and peered into the distance, and his heart leapt when he saw a shimmer there. "Water!" he shouted.

This spurred all the Titans into a run. Robin couldn't wait to feel the cool liquid running down his throat. It was going to be the best drink he'd ever had. Then the simulation would be over and they could show Slade that — suddenly, the shimmer in front of them disappeared. Robin froze, blinked, then looked again at where the shimmer had been. Where had the oasis gone?

"Where did the water go?" Starfire asked.

Robin choked as the realization hit him. He turned to Raven, furious. "It was a mirage?" he shouted. "You didn't think to check if the oasis was real or not?!"

Raven's eyes were wide. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

Robin fell to his knees in frustration. "We might've been walking in the wrong direction! We could be miles from the oasis!"

"What do we do now?" Starfire asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Robin spat, getting up and clenching his teeth.

"Do you wish to abort?"

Robin glanced toward where the communicator sat in his ear, wondering if Slade had been watching them the entire time. "Never!" he spat. Robin wasn't one to give up. They would do this. They had to do this.

"Dude, are you sure?" Beast Boy asked, his face even redder than before.

"Positive," Robin growled, pulling out his bow staff and using it as a walking stick as they

continued on. Robin didn't know how long they'd been in this simulation for, but the blazing sun made it seem like hours. Even his cape offered little protection, and now his arms and face felt like they were on fire. His tongue swelled, and he would've given his entire utility belt for just a single gulp of water.

The other Titans weren't doing much better. Beast Boy's camel walk was slower than a turtle, Raven looked as though she'd been through a thunderstorm, and Cyborg was absolutely miserable. Starfire was the only one who seemed to be doing fairly well, but she was no longer smiling.

"Are we going the right way?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin blinked. It seemed to take his brain twice as long to process the question and four times as long for him to respond. "I . . . think so."

"Are you sure?" Raven asked.

Robin blinked again. "I thought . . . oasis."

"Which direction?" Starfire asked.

"That way," Robin muttered, pointing straight ahead.

"Dude, you don't look so good," Beast Boy said, changing back into a human and peering underneath the cape that draped over his head.

Robin pushed Beast Boy away. "Fine."

The five continued on, and Robin was vaguely aware that he was falling behind. Frustrated, he tried to catch up, but his legs felt like steel. He stumbled once, using his bow staff to catch himself. He wouldn't lose. He would make it to that oasis.

". . . we should stop," Cyborg said. "Look at Robin."

"Fine!" Robin groaned out, staggering again. How desperately he wanted a drink! Where was that oasis?

"Robin, we need to stop," Raven said.

"I said I'm—" Robin staggered again, and he was vaguely aware that the desert before him seemed to be swimming in front of his vision. Instantly, he collapsed.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted.

"Abort!" Raven yelled.

Robin was aware of the feeling of cool steel on his body. He looked up and saw first the Titans, then Slade joining them. Then he passed out.


	23. Storm Simulation

Two weeks had passed since the Titans had survived their first training session. Since then, the training had become harder and more frequent, but it'd been to the Titans' own benefit. Though it'd only been a few weeks, the intense training and healthy diet had caused Robin to start getting muscles in places he hadn't known muscles could be gotten. That, and passing out in the training room had steeled his nerves and made him work himself, and the Titans, harder than ever.

"Your skills are improving."

Robin and the rest of the Titans turned as Slade entered the training room. They'd successfully finished level twelve on the simulation, and Robin felt that soon they could move a

level higher. Soon they would be ready to face Malchus.

"Your schedule will be identical to yesterday's, but it will include a survival simulation as well," Slade said before exiting. As soon as Slade was gone, all the Titans collapsed to the floor.

"I think I'm dying!" Beast Boy said, pounding his fists on the floor as though he were having

a tantrum. "We did three training sessions just yesterday without anything more! Do we really have to do another survival course?"

"Just be glad he's giving us a break," Cyborg said. "I think a couple of my circuits came loose from all the training we did the day after Robin . . ." Cyborg looked Robin's way and said nothing more.

Robin nodded, rubbing his sore legs as he sat there. The day after he'd fainted, Robin's muscle soreness had hit him like a battering ram. He'd barely been able to make it through that day's training schedule, but it'd gotten better. "Don't worry, team. We can make it through this. We made it through all the other stuff."

"Barely," Beast Boy said.

The team sat in the training room for the next hour, all catching their breaths before they ate lunch and returned at exactly fifteen hundred hours for another survival simulation. The Titans gathered in the training room and stood before Slade.

"Storm simulation, begin," Slade said before walking out of the room.

"You know," Beast Boy muttered as the blank room they were in changed to grass and cloudy skies, "I think we could take him if we really had to. We've been training our eyeballs out and Slade never trains. At least, I've never seen him train."

Robin nodded, vaguely wondering how strong Slade really was. Such thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind, however, as the simulation began.

The wind picked up on the plain they were standing on, and Robin realized that the clouds

were turning an ominous black color. Suddenly, lightening flashed, and Starfire barely dodged a strike before it hit the ground, throwing all the Titans who still stood several feet backwards. The thunder crashed, nearly deafening Robin. So that was it: a thunderstorm.

Raven brought all the Titans to her as she formed a dome-like shield using her powers, but this seemed to only concentrate the lightening on their spot until the electrical power broke her shield apart. Robin dodged, throwing multiple gadgets into the air to take the hit of electricity for him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Starfire rise into the air to attack the lightning and the clouds themselves with her starbolts. "Don't fly!" he yelled.

But it was too late. Robin wasn't even sure if Starfire heard him over the roar of the wind, but he watched as her entire body was engulfed in lighting and she fell. Beast Boy turned into a cheetah and caught her, but after setting her down, Beast Boy turned into a snake to avoid extra strikes. All the Titans were keeping as low as they could, but since this was a plain, there was no higher point upon which the lightning could concentrate itself. An idea suddenly came to Robin, but all his shouting in the world couldn't be heard over the roar of the storm. Remembering Slade's communicators, Robin used them instead. "Cyborg, punch the ground and make it heave upward, okay?"

"You got it."

Off to his left, Robin saw Cyborg punch the ground, causing it to break and stick several feet into the air. "Starfire, Raven, can you make that rock look like a lightning rod?"

"Sure," Raven said.

"The rod of the lightning!" Starfire said. "I know of that."

Robin, seeing his two teammates set to work forming the rock to the proper shape, took out

his bow staff and turned to Beast Boy. "Electrocute this for me."

"You got it."

Robin took his staff and threw it into the air, and Beast Boy turned into an electric eel and

shocked the staff just as it landed on the summit of the rock Cyborg had created. Instantly, the lightning concentrated itself on Robin's staff, and Robin and the other Titans began celebrating, thinking the simulation was over.

But suddenly, as though having a mind of its own, the lightning avoided Robin's staff completely and began raining down on the Titans, throwing the entire team against the ground and almost making Robin pass out from pain. Soon after, the lightning stopped, and the sky seemed to calm.

"Is it over?" Beast Boy asked.

At that moment, the rain came back, stronger than ever. Robin was about to speak when something hit him on the head. He looked down, frowning. "Hail," he said. The hail began to come down in larger and larger chunks, and the team eventually had to begin dodging these as well to avoid concussions. Robin looked up at where his staff rested and was surprised when he saw that it was abruptly caught by a powerful gust of wind which carried it upwards into the clouds. Then, the sound. It was like a train, but Robin knew that there was no train coming. He gasped. The rain, the hail, the wind . . . why hadn't he noticed it before?

"What is the sound from?" Starfire asked.

"It's," Robin whispered, "a tornado. It's a tornado!"

Cyborg looked over at Robin, his eyes wide. "A tornado? How are we supposed to beat that?!"

Robin had no words, but he saw the sheet of rain that wasn't rain moving toward them with incredible speed. He took his grappling hook and vainly tried to attach it to the rock summit Cyborg had made only to have the wind itself pick up his grappling hook and pull him toward the vortex. He threw several batarangs at the tornado only to have them fly into the tornado itself. Great, now he'd given it weapons. "Everyone, get low!"

The entire team huddled at the center of the rock, Raven's protecting them with another dome of magic as the tornado drew closer. But the protection was weakening due to batarangs and various debris hurled at them by the tornado itself, and just as the tornado reached them, Raven's magic broke and the five Titans were lifted into the air.

"Abort!" Cyborg yelled.

The Titans were thrown to the ground, panting and soaking wet. Robin dragged himself to his feet just as Slade entered.

"Another failure," Slade said, and all the Titans glared at him because they knew he was right.

"But we're getting better at the training simulation," Beast Boy said.

Cyborg shrugged. "There's no way to battle a tornado."

Robin nodded and took a step forward, but a sudden shudder went up his left leg and he felt a stiffness in his knee. He opened his mouth in a silent gasp, furious with himself for over-training and pushing himself so much for the past two weeks. Now he was injured again. Robin put a hand to his leg as he looked up at the Titans, seeing that they were still recovering from the shock of the simulation and apparently hadn't noticed. He glanced over at Slade, however, and saw that the man was looking straight at him. Looking away, Robin turned to address the Titans. "Come on, gang. Let's get some dinner." Robin took a step forward but was stopped as Slade moved in front of him, placing a hand on his chest.

Robin kept his face as emotionless as he could and tried to push past Slade. "I'm fine," he

muttered. Robin had just about walked past Slade when the man suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"You are _not_ fine."


	24. Getting Help

Robin looked to see the Titans watching them, and he hated the fact that Slade was treating him like this when his team was standing right there. He glared up at Slade. "I'm fine," he repeated tightly. Robin, his glare intensifying, saw that Slade wasn't backing down in the slightest, and his hold on Robin's wrist was tightening. Seeing that he couldn't force his way out of this, Robin sighed out a growl and yielded. "I injured my leg."

Slade didn't blink. He took out a small, light blue pill from his utility belt and handed it to Robin. "Take this."

Robin snatched the pill out of Slade's hand, swallowing it without looking at the man before leaving the room with his team in tow, trying not to limp. How _much_ did he hate this!

However, by the time the team had made it to the dining room, Robin's injury was completely gone. After eating dinner, the team lounged in the dining room, talking about Malchus, their coolest moments during training, and what everyone thought was down Slade's confidential hall.

"Maybe it's a picture of his face!" Beast Boy said.

"Maybe it's plans for improving for his training room," Cyborg said.

"I didn't know it could get any more improved," Raven said, rubbing her arm from where

she'd landed after the tornado had thrown them.

"Maybe it's his control room," Robin said. Now all the Titans were looking at him.

"What is this, the control room?" Starfire said.

Robin wished he hadn't mentioned it. "He had a control room a long time ago," he said brusquely, not mentioning that this was when he'd been the man's apprentice. "It showed cameras all over Jump City."

"Wait, the dude can look all over Jump City?" Beast Boy asked. "No wonder he knew Malchus's weaknesses so well!"

Robin nodded, still unable to understand the conflicting emotions inside him. Slade was a villain, yet he was helping them. The man was completely untrustworthy, but he was gaining, practically had gained, the Titans' trust. Robin got up and was about to leave when Slade entered the room. Beast Boy groaned.

"More training?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade merely turned and motioned for the Titans to follow. "Come."

The Titans followed Slade to the main room, and Slade led them over to his wall of gadgets before stopping. He pressed a button on a panel and entered a code, and suddenly the wall extended in front of the Titans, showing five extra gadgets that hadn't been there before. Robin looked on, confused as to what these were for. On the wall sat a pair of fingerless, elbow-length black gloves, a small silver ring, a type of armor, something that looked like a red marker beside a pair of red contact lenses, and, Robin gasped . . . a direct copy of his own uniform. What was going on?

"Due to Malchus's incredible strength, I have created power enhancers for you all," Slade said. "These gadgets will assist you in battle if you are willing to use them."

The Titans didn't know what to say. They all looked at each other, then back at Slade.

"What do they do?" Beast Boy asked. "And which one is for me?"

Slade picked up the ring and handed it to Beast Boy. "This allows a direct mental link between your mind and your body. As fast as you can think of an animal, you can become it."

"Really?" Beast Boy slipped the ring on his finger instantly, grimacing briefly before looking

back at Slade. "Ow! What was that for?"

"A direct mental link requires a puncture of the skin," Slade said. "In addition to your first power, your ring allows you a second. Since your ability to change form has been drastically increased, this ring allows you to temporarily warp from place to place."

Beast Boy, who had just finished changing into fifty different animals within the space of two seconds, paused and looked at Slade. "What's that mean?"

"By changing rapidly from one animal into the next, the molecules in your body will

temporarily accelerate," Slade said. "You can successfully warp to a location as far away as the longest animal you can construct."

"Oh," Beast Boy said. Then he leaned over to Raven. "What's that mean?"

"You'll be able to move at super speed since your body can't keep up with your mind. It'll compensate and warp instead of changing," Raven said.

Beast Boy, still frowning, leapt and changed for a moment into a dinosaur before turning human again. Robin watched, amazed, as the image of Beast Boy seemed to never actually take the shape of a real animal. Since his mind was thinking too fast for his body to keep up, his dinosaur shape simply turned into what seemed like a thin green line, almost snake-like, then his full shape reappeared halfway across the room in the blink of an eye.

"Whoa!" Beast Boy shouted, cradling the ring on his finger. "This is awesome, dude!"

"I expect these gadgets to be returned to me once Malchus is defeated."

Beast Boy frowned. "Aw. I wanted to keep it."

Starfire clapped and stepped forward. "What wonderful, power-enhancing substance is for me?"

Slade picked up the marker and contact lenses and reached out toward Starfire. "Present your arm."

Starfire, pausing only slightly, gave Slade her arm. Slade took her arm, palm side up, and drew a straight line from her elbow to the center of her hand. He drew a small dot in the center of her hand then extended five lines which ran from the center of the dot to each fingertip. He did this to the other arm, then released her.

"It burns slightly," Starfire said, clenching her hands.

"It also acts as a mental link between yourself and your powers," Slade said. "These contacts do the same."

Starfire took the contacts, and, after a moment, placed them in her eyes. "How strange!" she giggled. "What do these do?"

"While battling, all you must do is think of your target for your powers to make contact," Slade said. "Observe. Face me, Tamaranian."

Starfire faced him.

Slade took out a small gadget and tossed it into the air. "Envision yourself destroying the gadget. Now fire at me."

"Are you sure?" Starfire asked, hesitant.

"Fire."

Starfire's eyes glowed and she shot a starbolt at Slade, but she gasped in surprise when the attack actually pushed her backwards. "I did not mean for the attack to be so strong!"

"A form of adrenaline is on your arms, increasing your powers by a factor of three," Slade said, not at all worried that an attack three times stronger than normal was now hurdling toward him. At the last second, however, the bolt suddenly curved upward, missing Slade by inches. The bolt connected with the weapon Slade had thrown, destroying it instantly.

Starfire was now leaping up and down with joy. "The gadget is the amazing! Joyous!"

Slade turned next to Cyborg, taking the armor off the wall and handing it to the already-excited Cyborg. "This is your armor."

Cyborg's face fell. "Just armor? That's all I get?"  
Slade seemed to smile. "Don your armor, metal one."

Cyborg attached the armor to his system, and his entire body glowed blue for a moment

before Cyborg opened his eyes. "Whoa, I just felt a power surge."

Slade nodded. "This armor equips you with quadruple strength as well as giving you a practically unlimited supply of power to your sonic cannon."

"Really?" Cyborg asked, his eyes wide.

"It also changes your sonic cannon into a light cannon."

Cyborg frowned before he gasped. "You mean my shots now move as fast—"

"Precisely." Slade nodded to Cyborg, then threw several dozen gadgets into the air in front of him. Turning, Cyborg readied his cannon and fired, though Robin barely had time to blink before every single one of the gadgets was destroyed.

"Boo-yah!" Cyborg yelled, jumping into the air.

Next, Slade turned to Raven, taking the fingerless black gloves off the wall and handing them to her.

"Nice color," Raven said before slipping the gloves on her hands. She winced slightly when she pulled them on, but said nothing.

"These gloves are composed with the same chemicals that are in anger. If you flow your power through these gloves, your attacks will quadruple in power without your fearing the loss of emotional control. The gloves also allow a direct link between your mind and powers, thus rendering your incantation unnecessary."

Raven, frowning slightly and not uttering a word, held her hands out and produced a wave of black magic that consumed the entire room. She blinked, looked from Slade to her gloves, then smiled slightly.

All the Titans were now staring at Slade in awe. How had he done this? How were the creation of gadgets such as these even possible?

Finally, Slade turned to Robin, and Robin looked up at the man, hardly believing that he was actually excited to see what gadgets Slade had prepared for him.


	25. Acceptance

"Your suit has been overhauled," Slade said, pulling an identical copy of Robin's suit off the wall and tossing it to him. "I am aware that your cape protects you from flame and explosions, and this ability has been expanded to your entire suit to allow protection from bombs, flame, lasers, and electricity. It is both lighter and more durable than your previous outfit. Your mask"— here Robin looked at his new mask and noticed that the corners were spiked —"allows both night-vision and sight through any element."

Robin took his new utility belt then, inspecting the gadgets and seeing that they had both Slade's design and the man's imprint on them. He frowned, unsure if he wanted to place Slade's technology on his body after all his time as the man's apprentice.

"The powers of all your gadgets have been increased greatly," Slade said. "As has your bow staff become lighter and equipped with several abilities."

Robin, still frowning, took out one of Slade's replacement batarangs. He tossed it aside, then faced Slade. "I'll . . . just use my own suit, thanks."

Slade's eye narrowed. "Are you certain?"

Robin was just about to answer when something abruptly pressed into his hand. He gripped the object, then brought it up to his face, stunned to see that Slade's batarang had returned to his

hand despite the fact that he hadn't meant it to.

"Automatic sensors return all gadgets to you whether or not they miss," Slade said.

"So my bombs return to me, too?" Robin asked.

Slade glanced in his direction, and Robin blushed when he realized how stupid his question had sounded. Robin inspected the other gadgets Slade had given him, noticing that they were all lighter and smaller than the ones he usually used. They were all here: smoke bombs, normal bombs, electrical disks, ice disks, and several gadgets that Robin hadn't seen before. He held the gadgets up to Slade.

"Flame bombs are capable of producing a fire for exactly five seconds," he said. "Flash bombs give off intense light and temporarily blind your opponent. Night bombs fill an entire room with a chemical agent that reacts to and destroys light particles, plunging a foe into darkness."

"What are these?" Robin asked, holding up a small red capsule that was in his utility belt.

Slade looked at the object, then tossed something to Robin and the other four Titans. "Place those in the ear which lacks a communicator."

"What are they?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade said nothing, and the Titans followed his orders. Slade nodded to Robin, and Robin,

taking a guess, made a move to eat the capsule. Slade was there in an instant and snatched the pill away from Robin, tossing it into the center of the room. As soon as the pill hit the floor, it cracked open and let out a high-pitched shriek that caused Robin to gasp, and he was suddenly very thankful for the apparent ear protection that Slade had given them all. After several moments, the screaming ceased, and Slade walked over and picked up the gadget.

"Sonic screamers," he said, "which are capable of rupturing eardrums. They are not food."

Robin, after blushing briefly, thought it over. Slade's gadgets were amazing, and the fact that they all had Slade's own imprint on them didn't really matter much. Within a few days, all this would be returned to Slade anyway. Biting his lip, Robin took off one of his gloves and replaced it with the one Slade had given him, surprised at the feel of the cloth on his skin. It tingled slightly and pricked him near his elbow but did indeed feel lighter, more durable, and able to breathe better than its previous counterpart. He couldn't deny that he liked it.

Robin thought he saw Slade smile, but he ignored it and took Slade's uniform in his hands, nodding.

"It is done," Slade said. "We will report for training at five hundred hours tomorrow."

"Wait, 'we'?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes," Slade said. "I will assist you on the battlefield. Until then, accustom yourselves to your new powers."

Slade left, and the Titans were now standing alone, still amazed by their newfound strengths. Beast Boy immediately began changing into five dozen animals a second, while Raven practiced using her incantations without the use of her voice. Starfire, after marking a spot on the wall using her fingernail, stood in various spots in the room, practicing her ability to hit the mark without having to aim. Cyborg began using his new light cannon, seeing how many hits he could get in within a single second. Robin, looking again at the outfit in his hands, went to the bathroom to change. After changing into his new suit, he pulled off his own mask and placed Slade's own on his face, looking at himself in the mirror. It was still hard for him to believe that he was going through with this. But it was also hard to believe the other things he'd gone through with over the last few weeks.

Sighing, Robin exited the bathroom a few minutes later, still surprised at the lightness of the

uniform he now wore. It made him feel faster and stronger. A better fighter. Thanks to Slade,

they all were. But why was Slade helping them? It just didn't make sense, but Robin didn't feel like bringing it up later that night. If anything, the Titans should've been thanking Slade for all his help and . . . what was he doing?

Robin shook himself and reclined in his chair as the Titans talked, each gushing in excitement

over the powers they'd attained through Slade's technology.

". . . five times stronger than before," Cyborg was saying. " _Five times_. I can lift five times more than before and run three times faster. It's amazing."

"The amazing it is," Starfire agreed. "Now my attacks never miss."

"I'm finally starting to get this warping thing down," Beast Boy said.

"At first, it was strange not using my incantation," Raven said, "but now I'm used to it."

Robin nodded, and all the Titans simultaneously glanced at the clock, waiting in anticipation to see how tomorrow's training regimen would go. For tomorrow they would demonstrate their new powers, and tomorrow, Slade would join them.


	26. Better Than Before

The Titans always found something to complain about, no matter the situation. Even after being here over two weeks, each Titan complained about something different. Beast Boy hated the fact that there were no video games or television. Cyborg still complained that he wasn't eating any real meat. Raven commented about how she missed her spell books and herbal tea, and Starfire didn't like the dark, gloomy atmosphere.

There were few things Robin disliked about the place; it reminded him of his time with Batman. What Robin felt more of, however, was confusion. Why was he trusting Slade? Why was Slade helping them? Situations aside, it didn't make any sense. Wasn't Slade a villain? Wasn't he a hero? Did that make Slade a hero for working alongside him, or himself, a villain?

Complaining and confusion aside, the one thing the Titans didn't have any qualms about was the training room. It was beyond perfect and pushed them all to the limits. Though they hated it, at the same time Robin knew that the Titans, himself especially, loved it. They loved the exhausted feeling after a training session was completed, especially if they'd managed to beat the simulation itself. The Titans were getting better and stronger. Robin almost wished that the Tower had such technology.

"Training simulation, activate," Slade said once the Titans had gathered in the training room at exactly five hundred hours. "Level fourteen."

"Wait, we were just at level twelve!" Beast Boy said.

"Can we complete such a feat?" Starfire asked.

Slade said nothing and only took a fighting stance as the robots began to enter the room. "I thought you Titans enjoyed a challenge," he said, glancing back at Robin.

Robin gritted his teeth. "Titans, go!" The difficulty of the simulation suddenly went up tenfold. Now much harder than before, Robin got the feeling that they wouldn't have been able to survive, much less beat, the simulation without Slade's power enhancers. Robots came in by the hundreds, as did laser and electrical units shoot from the walls and never cease their firing. Robin, grateful for his new suit, only felt real injury when cut or thrown into a wall. The lasers and electricity practically bounced off his new suit, and the only time he was able to be injured with the various attacks that shot toward him was when they hit him on his face. Even the exposed skin on his arms seemed to be protected by a see-through membrane of fabric. Slade had done his work well, and all the Titans were stronger because of it. Glancing over at Slade, Robin saw the man get knocked backward by one of his own robots and couldn't help a snort of laughter. Maybe Slade wasn't as strong as he made himself out to be. Rushing forward, Robin threw an electrical bomb at the robot that was now attacking Slade, destroying it instantly. Robin smirked over at Slade, but Slade took out one of his own weapons and threw it suddenly. The blade missed Robin's head by inches, and Robin looked and gasped when he saw a now-disabled robot standing in front of him.

The fight continued, but the Titans, stronger than ever, loved it. It was like a video game to

them, and soon each Titan was keeping track of how many robots he'd taken down.

"Eighty-nine," Cyborg said, taking aim with his light cannon again.

"Seventy-eight," Starfire said.

"Seventy-four," Beast Boy said, turning into a gorilla and ripping the head off one robot before changing instantly into a boa constrictor and crushing another.

"Ninety-five," Raven said with a smirk, using her powers to dismantle another five robots.

"Eighty-one," Robin said, pulling his bow staff out of a robot.

The Titans briefly glanced at Slade, wondering how many robots he'd taken down. Slade said nothing, however, and the Titans continued their battle. Robin was just getting the mechanics of his suit down when five robots suddenly rushed him, pinning him to a wall and preventing his escape. He looked and saw that the Titans were incapacitated, but when he glanced over at Slade he saw that the man was indicating something on Robin's bow staff. Looking down, Robin saw a small button on the underside of his staff that he hadn't noticed before. Gripping the staff, he pressed the button.

Instantly, a blade came out of the staff itself, stretching the entire length of the staff and wrapping around the hand that held the staff like a pair of brass knuckles. He started at this, surprised that this addition to his staff hadn't increased its weight or unbalanced the staff itself. He pushed forward and sliced through the robots with ease, and by pressing the button with the palm of the hand that held the staff, the blade retracted. Another robot struck him, knocking his staff from his hand, and Robin couldn't help grinning when the staff automatically returned to his hand seconds later, allowing him destruction of the robot who'd knocked it from his hand.

"Robots are behind you," Slade said through Robin's communicator.

"I see them," Robin said.

"There is another ability built into your bow staff," Slade said. "Press the second button on your staff; throw your staff at your opponent within the next three seconds."

Robin pressed the button then threw his staff at the robots. He'd only meant for the staff to hit one robot, so he was surprised when his bow staff suddenly dropped as though it suddenly weighed much more than it had seconds before. The staff touched the ground and tumbled, smashing into five robots and ruining them. The bow staff returned to Robin's hand instantly, and Robin blinked, not understanding what'd just happened.

"The button you pressed alters the staff's gravitational field momentarily, allowing the metal to increase its weight by a factor of fifty," Slade said.

Robin nodded, jumping into the fray and continuing the battle. He took down three more robots before a wall blaster got his attention. Turning, Robin was about to strike the blaster when an electrical firing unit from opposite the room struck him on the face, electrocuting him.

"Use your weapons," Slade said.

Robin, not really thinking much about how Slade's communicator still worked when he was being shocked, reached into his utility belt and pulled out one of Slade's batarangs. He was surprised when the electricity seemed to be drawn to the blade, and the instant the lightning struck the blade, it deflected. Robin stared.

"Take another weapon and combine both weapons to form a current."

Robin, taking a guess, withdrew another one of Slade's batarangs and touched it to the first,

gasping and jumping in excitement for a moment when he pulled the weapons away from each other and saw that they made a current between them. He threw both weapons at the electrical blaster, and the electrical current wrapped around the blaster and destroyed it. The explosion blew his weapons halfway across the room, but Robin merely turned and held both hands up.

Slade's weapons automatically returned to his hands seconds later. He smiled.

The Titans were winning. With Slade's help and their new enhanced powers, everyone was practically superhuman. Within minutes, the last robot was defeated, and the Titans rose victorious.

 _Level fourteen, passed_.


	27. The Best

Robin gave his team a thumbs-up as he sank to his knees in exhaustion and pocketed his bow staff. "Good job, team."

"It was all me," Beast Boy said, puffing out his chest and grinning. "I got a hundred and nineteen!"

"One twenty-five," Cyborg said.

"One hundred twenty-eight," Starfire said.

"One twenty-six," Raven said.

Robin nodded. "I got one twenty." He rose and stretched. "I'm going to take a shower."

"You cannot," Slade said.

Robin blinked. "Why?"  
"Malchus has destroyed the city's water system," Slade said. "It will take twenty-four hours to locate a new water source."

The Titans looked at each other, swallowing.

"No water for Jump City?" Beast Boy asked.

"What if all the people . . . die?" Cyborg asked.

"The city will not let its people perish," Slade said. "Alternate water sources are being delivered to the city as we speak."

Robin sighed in relief at these words, though he still was a bit irked that he couldn't go shower to relieve his sore muscles. He shrugged. "Let's go eat, Titans."

"I'm starving," Cyborg said.

"What time do we come back for training?" Starfire asked.

"Nineteen hundred hours," Slade said.

The Titans all nodded and left to eat. Robin walked into the dining room and ate his protein supplement, sitting down next to the rest of the Titans and considering. It was so strange to be voluntarily working alongside Slade. It wasn't as if he'd gotten used to it — Robin knew he never would — but it was unusual to say the least. Slade was a villain; that Robin knew. Once Malchus was defeated, things would return to normal. At least, he hoped. Because if they didn't, Robin wouldn't know what to do.

TT TT TT TT

Robin woke in the middle of the night, groaning and sitting up when he realized that he was very thirsty. Leaving his room, Robin walked to the dining room and got a bottle of water since Jump City wouldn't have water for several hours yet. Robin took a sip of water, blinking as he realized that he had just walked through Slade's complex in the dead of the night with no wariness or panic whatsoever. Unlike his former apprentice days, now he wasn't afraid of being caught. It was almost . . . natural to be here. Not only that, but he was here of his own free will. It was so odd, and though Robin would never admit it, he slightly enjoyed being here. The harsh training that made him stronger, the competition he felt, and the gadgets that were even more lethal than usual. It was so different from the casual, lazy air the Titans had adopted while in the Tower, and he enjoyed the change. It was such a thrill . . .

Robin shook his head, furious for allowing thoughts such as these into his sleep-deprived brain. He wasn't like that; he never would be. But if Slade was a villain, why was he helping heroes? Why —

A far-off sound caught Robin's attention, and he left the dining room, listening. Yawning once, Robin realized that the noise was coming from the training room. Who was training at this time of night? It was at least three hundred hours, maybe later. Creeping up to the closed door of the training room, Robin pressed his ear to the door and listened.

 _Raising difficulty_. _Level twenty-one_.

Robin gasped and threw the door open in an instant, hardly able to believe that someone could survive apocalypse training for so long. Yet there, in the middle of the room, stood Slade. Or, more accurately, floated. The entire room now resembled outer space, and Robin saw that Slade had to leap from meteor to meteor lest he fall into space and keep falling forever. Not only were the meteors he landed on no bigger than his fist, but lasers, circular saws, blasts of electricity, fire, and robots themselves seemed to attack Slade in a continuous stream, never stopping for a moment. After watching Slade, Robin noticed that all the robots Slade destroyed seemed to fall in the same direction, downward, after Slade struck them, not taking into account the direction he'd pushed the robots. Glancing down, Robin gasped as he saw a black hole directly beneath Slade, sucking in everything in its path and annihilating everything it touched. He watched Slade continue his ascent, but out of the corner of his eye he saw what looked to be a storm of razor blades hurdling toward the man from every direction and side, as though drawn toward him by his own body heat. Slade landed on a meteor, then took out his bow staff and twirled it at light speed to deflect all of the razors before pausing and continuing on.

Robin watched as Slade jumped again, but in that instant, the directional gravity of the room changed and Slade began falling sideways. The black hole was now off to his left, and Slade used a robot to push off of and land on a small meteor to gain his footing. Slade jumped, and again the gravity changed and pulled him toward the ceiling, now the ground. The gravity changed three times more within the next minute, and Robin saw that, right as Slade was grabbing onto a meteor, the gravity changed a fourth time and Slade was unable to grasp the meteor before falling in the opposite direction. Robin gasped as he realized Slade was in trouble. Seeing no meteors in Slade's way to land on or robots to push off of, Robin couldn't help leaping into the room after him.

Robin didn't know why the thought of saving Slade crossed his mind. If he'd thought about it practically, he probably should've let the man die. Then there would be one less Slade to worry about. But Robin was tired, probably not thinking properly, and to top it all off he was already in the room and it was too late to turn back.

However, Robin hadn't thought to consider how hard Slade's apocalypse training really was. The instant Robin jumped into the room, he nearly passed out. It wasn't the lack of air due to the fact that they were in space; adequate oxygen was being produced. What Robin hadn't realized while standing outside was that the level of gravity in the room, due to either the black hole or the fact that the difficulty was at level twenty-three, seemed to be ten times stronger than normal. Robin saw a meteor pass by him and he vainly tried to reach for his grappling hook, but his arm refused to move. He could barely breathe in these conditions, much less agilely leap from meteor to meteor to avoid the black hole.

Suddenly, the gravity on his body changed in that instant, and for several seconds he felt light

as a feather as he reached down and grabbed his grappling hook. Before he could attach the hook to a nearby rock, however, the weight of his body increased to at least twice as heavy as when he'd first entered, and Robin's arm snapped back to his side. How could this happen? How could he fight or move or do anything when he could barely breathe? The gravity in the

room itself changed again, and Robin, still weighing nearly a ton, began falling sideways. It felt

as though his body were being pulled apart. Unable to hold back a scream, Robin fought to stay conscious as he fell, and he could feel the black hole's starting to pull him in. Was he actually going to die here?

"Abort."

Instantly, the simulation faded and Robin fell to the ground, coughing as he sat up and blinked several times. Slade was panting as well, and after a moment the man straightened up and walked toward Robin with his hands behind his back.

"Why are you here?" Slade asked.

Robin, still coughing, looked up at Slade. "I th-thought you weren't going to make it," he gasped out.

"And yet it was I who had to assist you," Slade said.

"You actually train in these conditions?" Robin asked, thinking back to their level fourteen training they'd done only a few hours before.

Slade turned away from Robin, then looked over his shoulder. "Naturally, and perhaps one day you will graduate to this level as well," he said.

Robin blinked in confusion, but he was too tired and amazed at Slade's training regimen to do more than nod.

"Return and sleep, Robin," Slade said, powering down the training room and walking toward the exit. "Tomorrow we will face Malchus. We will end him."

Robin nodded again, and he groaned and lay back down on the floor, still recovering from the training room's almost tearing him apart. It took him a full twenty minutes before he was able to get up and go back to bed.


	28. The Final Battle

"Twenty-three?" Cyborg asked the next morning. "Level twenty-three? You're joking."

"I saw it, Cyborg," Robin said. "It was a huge black hole and the gravity kept changing."

"And I thought I was good," Beast Boy said.

Robin nodded, eating his breakfast and stretching out the soreness in his muscles from the previous night.

"Report to the training room."

Robin's body gave a spasm as he remembered that he and the Titans still wore Slade's communicators. He got up and followed his team into the training room, wondering what simulation Slade would have them do today.

"Computer, access file zero, two, seven, four, eight, nine, six, three," Slade said. "Voice key recognition: Slade."

 _Voice key correct_.

Robin blinked as images and video of Malchus surrounded the team. Robin looked and saw himself attacking Malchus, being thrown before Starfire took the lead.

"Is this all of our fights with Malchus?" Cyborg asked.

Slade nodded. "Tonight, we attack."

"We're finally ready?" Beast Boy asked, already sounding excited.

Slade faced the screens again. "We will use this day to plan, and at twenty-two hundred hours, we will enter the battlefield."

Robin grinned, not even caring that he and his team hadn't practiced the training simulator's fifteenth level. Now, the time was here. He looked at the rest of the Titans and saw their anticipation. Soon Malchus would be defeated.

"Do we get any more new gadgets?" Beast Boy asked.

Slade reached into his utility belt and withdrew a single bomb, holding it up so that the Titans

could see it. "If our battle proves unsuccessful, this will take Malchus down permanently."

"A bomb?" Robin asked, blinking.

Slade shook his head. "For every organism, there is a frequency at which all molecules self-destruct. This device finds that frequency and utilizes it to annihilate."

"So that's what happened at the warehouse," Raven said.

Robin blinked, thinking back to when the warehouse's floor and walls had abruptly disintegrated. "That's how you got out of Malchus's prison!"

Slade nodded.

"And I'm the only one who heard it because I've got great hearing," Beast Boy said, eyeing Slade's weapon cautiously.

Robin looked at the frequency bomb then back to Slade, swallowing. "We won't have to use that," he said. "We'll win without it."

Slade's eye glowed. "If we fail, this will not."

"Wait, if that destroys all living organisms, how did you survive breaking out of the prison?" Raven asked. "We were protected by that energy bubble that held us prisoners, but you were inside it with the frequency right next to you. It should've torn you apart."

"Your power enhancers all double as negative-energy force fields. Buttons that activate the force fields are located in various positions on your enhancers," Slade said. "This force field is what protected me."

Robin blinked. Negative energy, it made sense.

"And what else have you found about Malchus?" Cyborg asked.

"Malchus has one last, important weakness," Slade said. "Your shape-shifting friend helped me test out a theory which proved to be fact."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy shouted. Then he blinked. "What'd I do?"

"In our last battle, the shape-shifter changed his form into a rabbit and successfully stalled Jinx's powers. Why do you think that is?"

Robin and the Titans didn't know whether or not this question was rhetorical. At any rate, he had no idea why Jinx's powers had stalled.

"Does Jinx not like rabbits?" Beast Boy asked.

"Jinx's powers are energized by the absence of luck," Slade said. "A rabbit, or more specifically, its foot, is considered—"

Robin gasped, and he couldn't help clapping once and leaping into the air in excitement when it suddenly hit him. "A rabbit is lucky!" he shouted.

Slade glanced over at Robin and nodded.

"So all we need to do is figure out what the different sides of Malchus are weak against," Raven said.

"We already know that Jinx is weak against anything lucky," Cyborg said.

Beast Boy grinned. "This is going to be fun."

"We're gonna win, team," Robin said.

The Titans glanced at each other and smiled. Slade stayed silent, but Robin thought he could see a smile underneath the man's mask as well.

TT TT TT TT

Robin held to the shadows, going over Slade's plan in his head five more times as he sat there and waited. Though he hated to admit it, Slade was brilliant. The plan was brilliant. To be able to use a person's own weaknesses against him was hard enough when the weakness itself was unknown, but Slade seemed to know every single one automatically and without a second thought. Planning on how to strike fast was crucial to their success, as the Titans only got a moment's notice of whose powers were going to strike before the attack would already be happening. "Slade, are we going to attack soon?"

"Patience, Robin."

Robin glanced over his shoulder, not seeing anything but certain that Slade had been there moments before, waiting to attack. Instantly, Slade materialized out of thin air, and Robin jumped.

"You seem unfamiliar with cloaking technology," Slade said before disappearing again.

Robin blinked, then tapped on his communicator to make sure it was working properly. He heard, rather than saw, Slade move away from him, and he saw a small bomb get tossed at Malchus's feet. After a moment, the bomb detonated and signified the start of their battle. It was time.

Robin saw a flash of Jinx's eyes on Malchus's face the moment before the plane Slade had cloaked above the city also appeared. Jinx looked upward, and at the same time the belly of the plane opened and released several hundred horseshoes. Beast Boy descended as well, his rabbit form warping from horseshoe to horseshoe all the way down to the city before jumping on Malchus's head.

The reaction was instantaneous. Jinx's eyes flashed fiercely on Malchus's face, and Malchus fell to his knees as Jinx's scream cut through the air. Suddenly, Malchus's body became engulfed in a pink light, and Jinx's body separated from Malchus, the force of the separation throwing her into the side of the building.

"Jinx!" Cyborg yelled.

"She's unconscious," came Slade's response through the communicator. "Metal one."

"You're gonna pay for that!" Cyborg said, running toward Malchus as Overload's eyes flashed on his face. Leaping into the air, Cyborg delivered a punch to the street that caused the entire street to heave upward and fissure, sending rocks and boulders hurdling toward Malchus and pinning him under the earth. The electricity from Overload shot through the city like wildfire. The shock seemed to consume Malchus for a moment before Overload separated from Malchus as well, his single eye closing as he fell to the concrete.

"It is working!" Starfire cheered.

"Tamaranian," Slade said.

Starfire nodded, flying several meters back and returning with a large crate just as Mallah's eyes flashed. "Have some bananas, Mallah!"

She threw down the box and it exploded open. Malchus screeched, and just as before, Mallah separated from Malchus, passing out the instant his feet touched the street.

Though Robin had no time to think, he still gave a shout of joy as Malchus's form decreased. They were actually winning; it was working!

Malchus gave a roar of anger and redoubled his efforts, his eyes flashing Rouge's as his arms stretched out and he made a grab for Starfire.

"Azarathian," Slade said.

Raven appeared in front of Starfire, using her powers to grab Rouge's arm and pull her to her limit until she was literally torn from Malchus's body.

"Looks like it's time to multiply," Malchus said with a grin.

"On the contrary," Slade said, suddenly appearing above Malchus and tossing a bomb that detonated, covering Malchus in a fine, clear mist.

"That won't do anything," Malchus laughed, his eyes flashing to Billy Numerous's. He attempted to duplicate himself, but when he tried to separate all he did was create two heads for

himself before snapping back into one.

"W-what?" Malchus asked.

"The bond on your molecules has become too great," Slade said. "You are unable to separate."

With another scream and a brief flash of red, Billy Numerous flew into the side of a building. Robin laughed. They were winning, and it was so easy!

"Robin."

With a blink as he remembered they were still fighting, Robin leapt onto the battlefield, seeing Seemore's eyes flash on Malchus before several lasers fired. Robin allowed the lasers to hit him, feeling nothing more than slight pressure because of his suit, then threw one of Slade's night bombs at Malchus. Upon detonation, Malchus began screaming.

"I can't see!" he shouted. "I can't see!"

Robin saw Seemore's body hit the concrete several feet away, and now Robin knew that only the Brain, Gizmo, and Mammoth remained fused together.

"I know how you're communicating," Malchus said, his eyes half-crazed, "and I can stop it!"

Hardly had Gizmo's eyes flashed on Malchus's face before Slade called out another Titan.

"Shape-shifter."

Beast Boy leapt forward, shrinking to a size that no one could see. Robin grinned as he knew what was coming, and within a second, it happened. Gizmo's controller suddenly shorted out as Beast Boy the virus infected it, and moments later Gizmo was thrown from Malchus's body as Beast Boy changed into a crow and flew away.

"Y-you can't defeat me!" Malchus screamed, his eyes flashing the Brain's as he realized he only had two powers left.

"The only thing that causes you to fall," Slade said, uncloaking himself and walking forward, "is intelligence beyond your own."

With a roar that might've pierced the sound barrier, the Brain and Mammoth split apart, both falling unconscious instantly.


	29. The End

Robin looked at his teammates, then gave a loud shout of victory. "We did it!"

"We are victorious!" Starfire said.

"Boo-yah!" Cyborg said.

"That was cool," Raven said.

"Yeah, dude!" Beast Boy said.

The Titans all gathered in the middle of the street, and Slade walked over to them.

"We won!" Robin said, surpassing even Starfire's joy at finally defeating one of the toughest villains they'd ever faced.

"All we've got to do now is get these criminals in prison," Cyborg said.

"Once that's done, we'll come back to your lair and give you your gadgets back," Raven said, facing Slade.

Slade nodded. "I will be waiting."

The six separated, and within minutes all the villains were placed behind bars.

"Man, I'm gonna miss my light cannon," Cyborg said as they walked through the hallway that

led to Slade's lair.

"At least we'll be able to get the Tower back," Beast Boy said.

"I still can't believe that he helped us," Robin said.

"Me, neither," Cyborg said.

"It certainly wasn't something I expected," Raven said.

Robin nodded and opened the door at the end of the hall, entering into Slade's lair and turning

to see the man standing near the gears at the end of the room. He still couldn't believe it. Not that they had won, which was incredible in itself, but that Slade had actually helped them. Maybe things really were changing. Maybe, one day soon, Slade really could become a Titan. It would be nice, Robin thought. Having someone to spar and plan with. Imagine. One of Robin's greatest enemies becoming one of his closest allies. Robin laughed at the thought.

"A celebration is in order!" Starfire said. "We have beaten our foe! Would Slade like to join in on our celebration?"

Robin looked first at Slade, then to the Titans. He sighed, then shrugged. "Thanks," he said. "You helped a lot."

All the other Titans were nodding. No one wanted to admit it, but they wouldn't have been able to defeat Malchus without Slade's help.

"So we'll just give you back your gadgets and—" Robin tugged on the glove of his uniform, surprised when it wouldn't come off. Frowning, he tried harder to pull it off. It still refused to give. The Titans seemed to be having the same trouble.

"Twenty-four hours," Slade said silkily.

Instantly, Robin's blood froze, and he looked up at Slade. Something was very wrong.

"That is how long it takes . . . for a neural-interface suit to bond with its host."

Robin choked, his eyes wide. "What did you—"

"Gaining your trust was surprisingly easy," Slade said. "As was creating a powerful villain and waiting for you to require my assistance."

Robin blinked, barely understanding. "No," he whispered.

"You used the Brain?" Cyborg asked.

"What makes you think that a villain is above manipulating the foes of his enemy?"

"How did you get him to use that fusion reactor?" Raven asked.

"Accidentally allowing my plans to fall into another's hands was quite easy," Slade said. "All it required was causing him to believe it was," here Slade glanced over at Robin, "his idea."

Robin shook himself back to an aware state, blinking hard. "Everything you said, it was—"

"And you believed it all, Robin. Heroes are so naïve," Slade whispered. "The instant any assistance is required, they will do anything — trust anyone — in order to succeed. Their trust is their downfall. You even allowed your Tower to be destroyed."  
"It was you," Cyborg said, blinking and glaring up at Slade. "You were the one who disabled our security system!"

"And you never saw the bombs I planted," Slade said.

Robin beat his fist on the ground, hardly able to believe it. Why hadn't he known? Why hadn't he seen the danger? Why had he trusted Slade? Feeling anger consume him, Robin rose and gritted his teeth. "We won't let you win," he growled. "Titans, go!"

"Dear boy," Slade said, laughing slightly. "I already have."

Robin had barely moved before the suit took control of his body. It wasn't electricity, but it felt similar to his time in the training room with Slade. It felt as though every fiber of his being were on fire, that he were being slowly torn apart. Robin, on his face now, looked over and saw the Titans in similar positions. They were unable to attack. Unable to use the powers that had been made both stronger and unusable by Slade himself.

"A mental link," Slade said, and Robin winced when he remembered the feeling of the suit on his skin the first time he'd put it on. "After scanning your bodies when you first arrived in my lair, I set to work forming devices created specifically for your powers."

Robin was shaking his head, remembering the strange blue aura that had surrounded the team the first time they'd been here. _Why hadn't he_ —

"You mean to suppress them!" Raven snarled, then she was on her knees in pain again.

"That confidential hallway," Beast Boy muttered.

"A control room to observe as well as a place to test the effectiveness of your suits before I gifted them to you," Slade said.

Robin felt anger consume him a second time and he wanted nothing more than to tear Slade apart. Suddenly, the suit seemed to react to his rage and forced him onto his face.

"Your own thoughts will betray you," Slade said. "If you even think about killing or disobeying me, if you try to use your powers in any way, shape, or form against me, if you try to escape or even think of each other, my technology will know. And I will know."

"We'll never work for—" Beast Boy was brought to his knees as the suit reacted.

"Look."

Robin glanced down at his suit, horrified to see that it was peeling away from his skin and revealing black fabric underneath. Looking over, he saw Slade's own insignia pulsing on Raven's gloves, Beast Boy's ring, Cyborg's armor, and Starfire's wrists. He gritted his teeth as he felt his cloak disconnect and fall from his shoulders. The green fabric on his arms and legs evaporated to be replaced with black, and the yellow on his body faded to be replaced with the color of orange. He hated this, but his own uniform changing to Slade's didn't matter. They were the Titans, and soon, Slade would be defeated — Robin screamed as the pain brought him down again.

"Get up."

Robin, not wanting to obey the man, tried to stay down. But the suit itself reacted for Robin, and soon all the Titans were standing before him, their heads forcefully bowed in submission.

"It seems that the Titans are no longer heroes."


	30. Perfect Kill

The Titans had tried to take Slade down. Three hundred times they'd tried to launch an attack that first hour they found out that they now wore neural-linked suits, but at every turn, the suits had stopped them. Even an idea of escape or a thought of Slade's destruction brought them to their knees in pain; any thought could turn their suits against them.

Now, the Titans were separated. Not wanting them to act as teammates any more since they now belonged to him, Slade had placed them in their separate bedrooms, locking the doors and not allowing any forms of communication. Robin didn't know if their bedrooms had always been soundproof and he'd never noticed or if Slade had made them that way after he'd revealed his plans to the Titans, but Robin didn't care. He'd beaten upon his door for several hours before giving up the thought of contacting his friends. It was useless. They couldn't hear him and they couldn't hear his screams of pain whenever the suit reacted. He was vaguely aware of the vibrating sounds of explosions in the Titans' rooms as they attempted to escape, but the abrupt stopping of these sounds the instant they began told Robin more than he wished he knew. In addition to the fact that their rooms were soundproof and the walls, impenetrable, every time he thought about any form of escape or communication, the suit, Slade's technology, punished him. He felt like a dog who was either being scolded or rewarded for his behavior. After a few hours, Robin felt no vibrations coming from the other rooms around him. Were they dead? Had the suits killed them?

Robin, taking a chance, tapped the communicator that was still in his ear. "Titans?" he whispered.

"The Titans may be close by, Robin, but I am even closer."

Robin screamed as the words cut through his communicator, and he jumped backward so quickly that he slammed his back into a wall. Fear had no effect on the suit. It was only rage, anger, or a will that caused the suit to react. The technology, seeming to know what Robin was going to think before he did, reacted to any thought of anger towards Slade, any thought of escape or plan. It made Robin have to censor his thoughts, something that was impossible for him to do. How would he and the Titans plan their escape if —

Robin screamed again, wondering if the pain really could kill him. For the last several hours he'd been in this room, and it'd taken Robin an entire hour to realize that there was a video camera in the room itself, watching his every move. How had he not noticed it before? Robin had thought of destroying the video camera, but the thought caused the suit to react. The suit wouldn't let him; Slade wouldn't let him.

Now that Robin thought about it, if Slade had cameras all over Jump City, there were probably hundreds of cameras all over his lair. It made sense. Maybe the cameras could be used to distract the man, then the Titans could — the pain brought Robin to his knees. He couldn't plan. He couldn't even think, because every thought that wasn't what Slade wanted, punished him. It tore his body apart and made him literally unable to consider taking Slade down. He was, in a way, being conditioned. And to Slade, it was perfect. It was just what the man wanted. Robin couldn't plan. He couldn't escape. He would remain forever.

Not forever. Not even for another day. Soon he and the Titans would —

Robin screamed again and fell to his face. He glared up at the camera, almost able to Slade's smile behind it. Slade was watching him. He was watching all of them, that was certain. But he was watching Robin especially, even Robin knew that. With both Slade's eye on his body and the suit's eye on his mind, there was no way he could plan in these conditions. If Robin wanted a chance to . . . escape, either his friends would have to come up with a plan — here the suit burned him — or he'd have to have a miracle. Things weren't looking good for him, and they were probably going to get a lot worse very fast. Not only that, but his uniform was being relentless on his body.

But why? Why had he been so stupid? Shouldn't he have known? Shouldn't he have been smarter and not trusted that Slade had no ulterior motives behind helping them? Shouldn't he have known something was up when Slade allowed them into his lair and gave them "power-enhancing" gadgets? Had he just forgotten that Slade was a villain, or had he actually believed that the man was becoming a hero? Robin didn't know if he truly hadn't known anything was up or if he'd simply been overlooking the red flags he saw. Either way, one was just as bad as the other. He was such a fool.

He was _so stupid!_

Robin fell to the floor and slammed a fist into the ground, hating himself. Why had he trusted Slade? Why hadn't he known? Wasn't he smart, or was he simply blind? It was as though he'd betrayed himself. He should've seen it. He _should've_ known! Why hadn't he seen it?! Was he that young, that stupid? Why couldn't he have figured it out?

Maybe if he'd been smarter, he would've known. Maybe then he would've been able to stop himself from getting into a situation he didn't even see until it was too late. But no, he was blind, naïve, and foolish, just as Slade had said. Stupid, pathetic, and a child. He couldn't save the Titans. He couldn't even save himself. He'd placed Slade's gadgets on his body and had trusted the man. He was such a fool.

Robin screamed again, suddenly getting up and rushing the door, punching it with a roar. He continued this assault, his shouts became weaker and weaker until emotions overcame him. With one more punch, he crumbled to the floor, blinking hard and placing his head in his hands. His knuckles were bleeding, but so were his insides.

He'd been betrayed. By Slade, and by himself. And it was all his fault.

"Robin."

Gasping, Robin wiped his face and looked around, terrified by the idea of Slade seeing him in his current state. Realizing that Slade wasn't here and it was only through the communicator that he heard the man's voice, Robin blinked again and tipped his head back, steadying his breathing. Maybe he could take the communicator out of his ear and smash it. At least then he'd be . . . partially alone. But there was still the video camera. Now feeling sick, Robin reached up to destroy his communicator but felt the suit shock him as a warning. He disregarded the idea. "W-what?" he asked, his voice raspy from so much screaming.

"Report."

"No," Robin growled, anger pushing away any other emotion. "I would never—" But Robin's mind betrayed him, and suddenly he was on his hands and knees in pain. Though he didn't want to leave, didn't want to answer to Slade, the door unlocked and his feet moved for him. He walked out of the room, and as soon as Robin was in the hallway, he started shouting. He couldn't hear the Titans, so either they couldn't hear him due to their soundproof rooms, or they simply were being smart and not responding. Robin hoped with all his might that it was the latter. As he passed their rooms, Robin's thoughts drifted back to the Tower, and his mind was lingering on eating breakfast with the Titans when the suit suddenly reacted more violently than it ever had before, bringing him to his face.

Robin couldn't think of anything anymore. He couldn't imagine his friends, couldn't consider his options on how to escape, and couldn't think of a plan to break free from the suit. All he could think of was Slade, and that brought anger. With anger, came pain. So that left only several options.

Happiness. Joy. But in a situation like this, Robin knew he could feel neither. Confidence was linked to ideas of being free, of escape, so that was also something Robin couldn't think of without being injured. Only one emotion remained.

Fear. And considering, maybe that was the only thing Robin _could_ feel. Anything else brought pain. Pain brought fear. Fear brought the absence of pain. And it was a never-ending cycle. It was beyond brilliant. A perfect kill.


	31. A Forced Choice

"Hello, Robin."

Robin stood in front of Slade with his head bowed, trying not to think of anything that would cause him pain. He wasn't bowing his head out of servitude, but he knew if he laid eyes on the man that would bring anger. Anger would —

"Raise your head."  
Robin, stiffening, jerkily brought his gaze up to Slade. Instantly, anger coursed through him and brought him to his knees. Perhaps if he could just think of nothing . . . no, not becoming angry when looking at Slade was like telling the sun not to rise in the morning.

"Look at me."

This time, the suit raised Robin's head for him. He looked up at Slade, then was brought to his face in pain.

"This can continue, Robin," Slade said. "And it will not stop until you —"

Robin cut through Slade's words with a snarl. "I will _never_ —" Robin pressed his forehead into the ground, barely able to breathe and wondering if it would ever end. Gradually, his anger faded, as did the suit's reaction. Breathing in, Robin stood up and faced Slade, steeling his nerves and refusing himself to become angry.

"Better," Slade said.

"Why am I here?" Robin asked, clenching his fists.

"I have a job for you," Slade said.

Robin blinked. "I won't—" He gritted his teeth as pain wracked his body.

"What was that?" Slade whispered.

Robin turned away, saying nothing.

"This suit controls you, Robin," Slade said. "It controls your every move, your every thought." Slade turned to Robin. "If you refuse to obey me, I could force your body to"— Slade took a weapon out of his pocket and threw it toward a robot who stood several feet away, instantly decapitating the robot.

Robin, now feeling sick, shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm a . . . I would never—"

But Robin's body was already reacting. Against his will he took out his own weapon, pressing it to expose the blade and throwing it at another robot that stood in the room. Robin wanted to look away, but Slade forced him to focus on the way the robot fell when he struck it.

"The Titans," Robin groaned, feeling his stomach heave, "they won't—"

"The Titans have been given the same ultimatum you now face," Slade said. "Trust can be used as a weapon, but _ties_ can be exploited as a weakness."

Robin's arms hung limply at his sides. What could he do? Slade had him cornered. Not only did the man have the ability to turn him against his friends and . . . but he also possessed the ability to practically read Robin's mind and control it all the while.

"Now, Robin," Slade purred, "I have a job for you."

Robin clenched his jaw, trying to keep his anger at bay. "What do you want me to do?"

Slade's eye glowed. "Good. Wayne Enterprises. You will infiltrate. You will steal; you will return. Is that clear?"

Robin, still feeling sick when he glanced over and saw the robot's head on the ground, nodded.

"I will show you the blueprints and you will leave immediately."

Robin turned back to Slade. The pair went into the training room while Robin tried not to consider the options he had. But maybe if he waited until he was outside, the suit's reaction would hurt him less. What was he thinking? Of course, if anything, it would hurt him more since he was out of Slade's sight. And it wasn't as if he could go to the police and — Robin gasped and fell to his knees, and Slade roughly pulled him to his feet.

"Do not be seen," was all Slade said.

Robin looked at the blueprints that hovered in front of him as a holographic image. He memorized them as best as he could, tried not to think about his friends, then left the compound, his feet pounding on the floor as he made his escape and rushed into the cool Jump City night. Staying in the shadows, Robin successfully made it to Wayne Enterprises without being spotted. Several guards and three security cameras were at the main entrance, but Robin went to the back of the building, kicked in a vent, and began crawling upward. Once he knew he was above the weapons room, Robin used a small laser Slade had given him to cut a hole in the vent and drop into the room. It was just as before when he was the man's apprentice, and his previous training under Slade had been forgotten by neither his body nor his mind. He was good. He wasn't as good as Slade, but . . . he was learning. "I'm in, Slade."

"Excellent."

Robin looked around. "So, what do you want me to . . ." Robin breathed in and chose his words carefully, "get?"

"Choose something."

Robin blinked, unsure if he'd heard Slade correctly. Tapping on his communicator to make sure it was still working, Robin paused. "What?"

"Choose something," Slade repeated.

Robin paused, his mind unable to comprehend Slade's words. " _What_?"

"Do you lack understanding, Robin?"

Robin frowned, now very unsure. "Slade, what do you—"

"Robin."

Robin stood inside the building he'd just infiltrated, completely confused as to what was going on. Even during his time as an apprentice, Slade had never done something like this. He'd never given Robin an option or choice, only an order. But now Slade wanted him to . . . choose something? Did Slade actually want him to pick out a weapon? If that really was the case, why? Why? What would the man's reasoning be for allowing Robin the choice of choosing a weapon?

At any rate, what if he chose the wrong thing? What if he chose the right thing? Why was Slade doing this to him, giving him a choice? Was it a test, and if he brought back the wrong weapon, he'd be punished? Was Slade giving him an option to test his skills? Whatever the reason, Robin knew that he didn't like it and that something else was going on that he couldn't understand. "No," he said adamantly. "Slade, I won't choose—" Robin gasped again as the suit reacted to his disobedience. He fell to his knees and was aware of Slade's voice over the communicator.

"Choose your weapon and return." Then the communicator cut out, and Robin suddenly felt very alone. He sat up and looked around, nervously inspecting every gadget in the room. They all looked dangerous. Lethal, even. What was he supposed to do? Pick the most dangerous weapon in the room and report back to Slade? If so, why? Robin clenched his fists, angry with himself for being unable to understand Slade's reasoning. Robin hated this, but he knew had to escape quickly. He had to . . . choose something. Whatever that meant.

Robin, hearing guards from somewhere below him, began to panic. Scanning all the objects in the room, Robin took one before fleeing out of the same vent he came in by. By skill or maybe by luck he escaped the building without getting caught, but his run slowed to a walk as he neared Slade's lair. He looked over his shoulder at Jump City. How easy it would be to run away; to turn, remove Slade's technology, then come back and save the Titans when he was free from this pain. Robin took a step forward, away from Slade's lair, almost able to taste freedom as he considered. If he could just escape and — Robin fell to his knees, almost dropping the gadget he'd picked up for Slade. The pain was too great; it was as though he were going mad. Automatically, the suit pulled him up and forced him to begin walking toward Slade's lair.

No, he wouldn't escape. He wouldn't escape. He would stay with Slade forever. The pain subsided. Robin gritted his teeth, hoping there would never come a day when he would actually believe those words. But he wouldn't remain here long enough to — Robin screamed then, and he took off running moments later so he wouldn't be caught.

As Robin descended toward Slade's lair, a wave of anger came over him. The suit tingled a bit, but for once this anger wasn't directed toward Slade. It was directed toward himself. He was so stupid. If only he hadn't asked for Slade's help. If only he hadn't let the man into their Tower, none of this would've happened. But foolishly, Robin had trusted the man, even minutely. He'd gone into the man's lair and had remained there of his own free will. He'd actually _put the man's gadgets onto his own body_. How trusting was he? How foolish was he? Because of him, now the Titans were captured. Because of him, Slade now had him — had all of them. He would never let them go.

And it was all his fault. Why had he trusted Slade?

Screaming out his frustration, Robin smashed his fist into the wall, feeling the suit react automatically and shock him. The pain, somewhere between electricity, fire, and the cutting blade of a knife, caused his body to spasm. The shock itself was so great that he felt his muscles twist, and he worried that it would cause his bones to snap. Gasping in a breath, Robin pulled himself to his feet and staggered down the hall, pulling open the door, straightening up, and entering with as much dignity as he could muster as he faced Slade. Wordlessly, Robin kept his eyes downcast as he handed Slade the gadget he'd stolen. It was the only thing in the building that Robin felt comfortable stealing. It wasn't a weapon; it was an advanced communicator capable of sending signals to locations over five hundred miles away.


	32. Follow Orders

"This is what you stole?" Slade asked.

A twinge of anger lit inside Robin, but the pain prevented him from shooting back a stinging remark. Was that even a question? "Yes."

Silence. Then, "I expected better."

Robin couldn't help glaring up at Slade, and he didn't care that he felt the beginnings of pain all over his body. He didn't care if Slade expected better; in fact, to Robin it was a compliment. Because whatever Slade didn't like, Robin favored.

Instantly, Slade backhanded him. Robin fell to the floor with a gasp, putting a hand to his jaw and making sure he hadn't lost any teeth.

"I will not tolerate this, Robin," Slade said, his voice now quiet. "I gave you an order."

Robin pulled himself into a sitting position, averting his gaze. "I did what you said."

Slade pulled Robin to his feet. It took all of Robin's willpower not to hit the man. "You will return tomorrow, Robin, and next time you will _follow my orders_. Is that understood?"

Robin shrugged, and Slade shook him violently.

"I said, is that understood?" Slade's voice was now barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Slade," Robin said.

Slade released Robin, and Robin staggered backwards and caught himself.

"Leave."

Robin, not needing to be told twice, listened to Slade for once and followed his orders immediately. He passed by his friends' rooms, entering his own room and hearing the door lock behind him. Mentally exhausted, Robin sat down on his bed.

Malchus. Their time running short. Slade showing up at every turn and giving the allusion that he knew something. Robin clenched his fists in an attempt to stop himself from screaming as the pain washed over him. They'd asked for his help, but it'd all been his plan. They'd been his puppets from the start. He'd intentionally gotten himself captured by Malchus. He'd helped them on purpose, gotten them to take him into their Tower, to trust him. Later, they'd gone to temporarily live in his lair, and they'd even put his weapons on their bodies. Why had they trusted him? Slade was a _villain_ ; why had Robin trusted him?

Why?

Robin didn't even know the answer himself, so instead he thought back to all his conversations with Slade at the Tower and at his lair that should've clued him in to the man's true intentions. He'd prevented them from asking questions about his reasons for helping them. He'd disabled the cameras that Robin had placed in his room and had punished Robin himself when he'd been caught snooping around. Yet Slade had acted so . . . casual. Friendly, even, at least for him. It'd all been an act. A lie. A perfectly designed plan to get the Titans to trust him.

It'd worked. And after only a month or so of gaining all their trust, they had willingly worn his gadgets for twenty-four hours. They'd thought he didn't have any ulterior motives. They'd thought that he actually wanted to assist them in Malchus's defeat. He'd helped them, and now they were his slaves. He'd destroyed their Tower, all the while pretending that he'd cared. Faking a hero status. Helping them become stronger and better, while simultaneously breaking them down from the inside. Malchus was nothing. He was only a pawn in a chess game that the Titans hadn't seen, or perhaps had refused to see, until it was too late.

The Titans had asked for Slade's help. They'd been forced to trust him. Robin had been forced to trust him. Yet, by the end of it, Robin's trust was genuine. He'd trusted Slade.

Trusted him.

Robin fell to his knees in despair; hatred, rage, and panic combining into a single sphere of emotional chaos that brought him down. Now it was too late. He was such a _fool!_

Robin, choking out a gasp, knew that he had to do something. Not escape, no, not yet, but get out of this room. Here Robin could do nothing more than think of the situation he was in. Here were only thoughts; only pain. He had to get out. Even doing a job for Slade would be better than being locked up here with only himself as company. He was already starting to lose his grip. He was losing focus, forgetting that the main objective was getting the Titans and —

The pain came back again for the hundredth time that day, and Robin curled into a ball, unable to think of anything else other than the agony he was in. After several minutes, or maybe it was years, the pain subsided, and Robin sat up. He reached up and pressed a shaky finger to his communicator. He couldn't take it anymore. "S-Slade?"

"Yes?"

"Can I eat something?"

"Your required sustenance has already been ingested."

Robin frowned. So that wouldn't work. "Can I train?"

"You are in no condition to train."

Robin gritted his teeth, feeling the suit spark at his fingertips. So this was how it was going to be. But Robin refused; he wouldn't show the man any weakness. Ignoring the fact that temporary freedom was just a sentence away, Robin lay back down on his bed.

What was he supposed to think, then? Thoughts of his friends brought agony. Escape brought pain. Trying to or thinking of attacking Slade brought pain. The mere thought of the man brought anger, and anger brought pain. He could think of nothing. Robin looked at the ceiling, trying to control his thoughts and prevent them from betraying him. It was so hard. Maybe it would be easier just to contact Slade and —

 _No!_ Robin refused. He couldn't. He wouldn't!

The pain came then, a hundred times stronger than it was before. Robin found himself unable to scream; he could only fall to his face and choke as the pain drove him mad. It was too much for him; he couldn't handle it. Not allowing himself to think, Robin pressed his communicator. "S-Slade," he rasped. "Let me out. Please."

Instantly, the door to his room opened. Robin, pulling himself to his feet, limped out of the room to freedom. Well, it wasn't really freedom. Just another room inside this prison cell that was now his . . . home. No, this wasn't his home. The Tower was his home, back with his friends and —

Robin barely caught himself as the pain consumed him. He groaned, stopped thinking about the memories that were quite literally painful, and got up and walked away from his room. First he passed the room Cyborg was in. Pain. Then Beast Boy's. Pain. Then Raven's. Pain. Then Starfire's. Robin drew himself up after the suit's reaction ceased. All he wanted to do was pound on the doors and hear their reactions. Talk to them; hear their responses. But he could not, and they could not, for it would bring only more of the same. They couldn't even hear him. Their rooms were soundproof. Robin closed his eyes; he was alone. If only he hadn't trusted the man and had refused placing Slade's weaponry on his body . . .

The pain stopped after several moments. Robin was getting good at this. Not preventing his thoughts from going wild, that was impossible for him, but merely making his mind blank once the pain started. That way, he would sustain no lasting injury. Breathing in, Robin continued on, suddenly able to notice every video camera in the compound that he hadn't noticed before. Maybe he was just stupid.

Out of habit, Robin walked all the way into the training room, surprised to see Slade there and going over multiple files on a large, holographic computer screen. The man didn't even turn around.

"Do not leave the compound."

Robin couldn't help rolling his eyes. Like he was going to — Robin gasped as the pain hit him like a blow to the face. Panting, Robin looked up at Slade. Though Slade was still facing away from him, Robin could feel, rather than see, the man's smirk. It enraged him, but the pain drove his emotions even higher. Robin bit his tongue until it bled and he released a single groan instead of the scream he desperately wished to produce.

Turning away, Robin began to leave. His anger still remained, however, and each step out of the room brought him to his knees. He stepped; he felt anger; he fell. He knew Slade was behind him, and this caused him another spike of anger that brought him to his face. Sighing, Robin sat up. He was just about to regain enough control to leave the room when Slade spoke.

"Do you require assistance?"

Robin's scream echoed through the room as rage and pain simultaneously consumed him.

Pushing himself onto his hands, Robin fled the room as an animal, not wanting Slade to see him this way but knowing in his mind that he already knew —


	33. Obedience

Robin collapsed to the floor, not wanting to look back at the hallway he'd just come from. He'd lost; he'd let his anger control him. How he hated his emotions. How he wished that, for just a moment, he _could_ be like Slade. Unfeeling and calm. Never becoming angry.

What was wrong with him? He would never be like Slade! He would never be like that twisted, sick —

Robin let out a gasp as the pain flooded his system. He panted, then looked up. His eyes fell on Slade's confidential hallway, and another wave of anger flooded his system. If only they'd known. If only he'd known. If only he'd thought to disable Slade's force field and explore his confidential hallway, then maybe he would've learned Slade's plan before it was too late.

Robin was now in agony. When he heard steps approaching from the training room, however, Robin froze. In too much pain to care that he was now prostrate on the floor, Robin closed his eyes and held his breath as Slade's footsteps neared him. The man stopped next to him, and Robin hoped with all his might that Slade would simply continue on and not force him to rise. The footsteps carried on. Robin breathed out an uneven breath of relief.

Sleep. Food. Training.

This was how Slade lived. This was now how Robin and the rest of the Titans would now live as well. But what was Robin supposed to do? He was too weak to train and too nauseous to eat. He wouldn't sleep. That was a fact. Not with Slade's watching his every move and thought.

Crawling to his knees, Robin got up and returned to his room. He sighed and lay down on his bed as the door once again locked behind him, now alone with his thoughts that always managed to keep him awake. Could he really do this? Could he, and the rest of the Titans, remain here until they came up with a plan that — Robin shuddered as the pain struck him. He rolled over and stared at the clock next to his bed, watching the time tick later and later. He wondered what the Titans were doing. Were they awake as well? Were they forming a plan to —

Robin turned away from his clock, taking his pillow and covering his head with it in an attempt to stop the flow of thoughts rushing through his brain and causing him pain. It was maddening. Before, when he'd been Slade's apprentice, all he'd had to do was watch his words and the way he acted around Slade. Now, he even had to censor his thoughts when Slade wasn't even present. Every thought of anger brought pain. Every idea of escape brought agony.

Robin gave up the idea of sleep long ago. Maybe it was his way of spiting Slade, or maybe it was because he was in too much pain to rest. Robin lay there, suspended between the thoughts he wished he could think and the thoughts he wouldn't even entertain until his communicator roused him.

"Robin, report."

Robin didn't even look at the clock as he got up. Placing his hand on the door, Robin glanced at the video camera in his room for a moment before the door opened. Robin blinked to clear his vision as he made his way to report to Slade, and he briefly ducked into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water for good measure. Then he entered the main room and stood in front of Slade. Slade turned and faced Robin with calculation.

"Hello, Robin."

Robin frowned at this and looked around briefly; Slade was never one to bother with small talk. "H-hi."

Slade paused, staring down at him and causing Robin's worry to grow. Suddenly the man stepped forward, and Robin, panicked now, moved back.

"I didn't do anything," he blurted out.

"Of course you didn't."

Robin looked over his shoulder again, now uncertain of the situation. Was something going on? "I didn't."

Silence. "Do you wish to eat?"

Robin, blinking, stared at Slade. Was that actually a question? Sensing that it was a test, Robin looked around the room a third time, then back to Slade. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sounding a bit frantic.

"The question is simple, Robin."

Robin flushed a bit, hating feeling this way. He shook his head.

Slade nodded. "Did you enjoy your first night here?"

Robin recoiled as though struck. What kind of a thing was that to ask him? Something was definitely going on. Unfortunately, Robin couldn't read Slade's mind, so he was still in the dark. "You have a video camera," he muttered, trying to quell his rage and the suit's automatic response. "You tell me." Robin inhaled deeply. He tensed his jaw but was unable to prevent his nostrils from flaring and his eyes from watering.

"Is this your pathetic attempt at rebellion?" Slade asked calmly.

Robin blinked again, not understanding what Slade was getting at. "What are you talking

about?"

"Do you not understand the definition of rebellion?"

Robin clenched his fists, feeling his anger rise. How he _hated_ Slade's condescension! "Yes," he growled. "I do."

"Calm yourself," Slade said.

Robin felt the suit starting to react, and he breathed out. He looked up at Slade and saw that the man was holding a small pill. Robin recognized it instantly.

"Do you require this?" Slade asked.

Robin didn't even bother to block out his thoughts; he didn't care about the pain he felt. "I'm fine," he spat.

"It seems that it would be in your best interest to take it."

"No," Robin growled.

Slade's eye flashed. "Are you disobeying a direct order?"

Robin laughed this time, now on his knees in pain but caring little. "Y-yes." Pain exploded in Robin's body as the suit's effects suddenly quadrupled. He didn't know if Slade was causing this or his own confident thoughts were; all Robin knew were his own screams. The pain continued, even became worse, when his screaming stopped and turned to pleading. "S-Slade," he forced out. "Stop."

"Why should I?" Slade asked from above him. "So you can disobey me further?"

It felt as though Robin's body were about to tear itself apart. He couldn't take it any longer. "I . . . won't—"

"You won't what?"

" _I'll obey you_!" Robin screamed. The pain stopped instantly. Robin looked up at Slade, his eyes unfocused, to see the man dropping a pill next to him.

"Take it."

Robin, unable to move his arms at a moment, reached forward with his mouth and swallowed the pill, gagging and barely able to swallow the due to his dry, shredded throat. Robin started when water bottle dropped next to him a moment later, and suddenly realizing his thirst, he reached forward, knocking the water bottle over and spilling the water all over the ground. In too much pain and exhaustion, Robin simply slurped the water off the floor, not caring how pathetic he looked. Suddenly, Slade reached down and grabbed Robin by the hair, pulling him partway off the floor and forcing their eyes to meet. Robin looked at Slade, then looked away.

"Good," Slade said.

Then Slade released him and left. Robin barely had time to register that he was now alone before a wave of tiredness hit him and he closed his eyes.


	34. Necessary

"All right, I'm in," Robin said.

"Proceed," came Slade's reply.

Robin nodded and sped through Wayne Enterprises, wanting to get in and out as soon as possible. After he'd woken up several hours earlier, Slade had reminded Robin of his previous order to return to Wayne Enterprises and steal another weapon. Robin, reluctantly following the man's orders, left the compound and raced toward his destination. Now he was inside the building. He walked through the halls as he moved toward his destination, holding to the shadows as best as he could. "What should I do if I'm seen?"

"What is necessary."

Robin blinked, not understanding. _What_ was necessary? "What do you mean?"

"You will do as I do, Robin."

Blinking again, Robin paused in confusion. What did Slade do? He was a brilliant villain and criminal who stole, schemed, and . . . what? "Slade, what is it?"

"I do what heroes would refuse."

Robin blinked. All things considered, there were few things he, as a hero wouldn't do. The only real thing against his moral code was . . . Robin's blood chilled when he realized what Slade meant. "Slade, no," he whispered, unsure whether he was keeping his voice low due to desperation or necessity, "I would never—"

"Then do not be seen."

Robin swallowed, clenched his fists to prevent them from shaking, and continued on. Robin relaxed, breathing to calm himself. He was close to the weapons vault. It was all right. The guards were far away and —

Suddenly, the door to his left opened and two guards walked out. Robin, gasping, threw down a night bomb instantly, racing through the hall and into the weapons room. The door closed behind him, Robin used the laser Slade had given him to weld the door shut, then Robin slid to the floor. He'd been seen. He knew what was coming next.

"Robin," Slade said.

Robin was shaking now. "No, Slade. Please," Robin whispered. "Please."

A pause. "If you escape the building within the next three minutes, I will allow you to leave without testing your moral compass."

Robin nodded several times, hearing the guards run past the weapons room and sighing in relief as they continued on. Frantically Robin crept through the room, inspecting all the weapons before contacting Slade again. "What am I supposed to," Robin swallowed, forcing the word out, "steal?"

"It is your choice."

Robin blinked. No! He wouldn't make this decision! He wouldn't choose! Why did Slade continually force this decision upon him? "Just tell me what to take!" Robin yelled.

"Keep your voice down," Slade said icily.

"Don't make me do this," Robin said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Please tell me what to steal! Give me an order!" Robin could hardly believe what he was saying.

"I told you yesterday, Robin, the decision will be yours."

"Slade, no! I don't want to—"

"Robin."

Robin knew that this order was now a threat. Breathing in and not wanting to endanger himself or his friends — here the suit burned him briefly — Robin scanned the room. After careful inspection of all the weapons there, Robin chose the deadliest weapon in the room, remembering Slade's response from yesterday at his choosing something that wasn't even a weapon at all. At least now he had an idea of what Slade wanted. Picking up the weapon, a bomb capable of leveling Jump City, Robin tried not to think about it too much as he pocketed the weapon. He hated this, but Slade was doing this on purpose. Robin knew that much, though he didn't yet understand why Slade was allowing him a choice in the matter. Breathing in, Robin escaped the room and exited outside. He returned to Slade a few minutes later and handed the man the bomb.

Slade inspected the weapon, then looked at Robin.

Robin kept his eyes low, hoping that this time Slade would accept the weapon. It was quite lethal. There was no reason for Slade not to accept —

"It took you four minutes to escape the building."

Robin looked up at Slade, his eyes wide. "Slade, no."

"You hesitated," Slade continued. "You faltered when you chose a weapon."

Robin's very thoughts panicked. "I-I thought you were going t-to tell me—"

"And after I told you that the choice was yours, you still hesitated."

"Slade, please." Slade looked down at Robin, and Robin, desperate now, repeated himself. "Please. I won't hesitate again."

Slade turned to fully face Robin. "I told you before what I require."

Robin blinked, his mind racing as he tried to think of what Slade was talking about. What was it? Why couldn't he think of what Slade was talking about?! "What is it?" Robin asked.

"What I _require_."

Somehow, maybe because Robin was just lucky, the memory of what Slade was talking about suddenly flashed in his mind, and Robin nodded several times.

Slade turned away. "Remember that. You are dismissed."

Robin breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." Then Robin left the room, grateful beyond words that Slade hadn't forced him to . . .

Robin collapsed into bed, somehow more exhausted now than he was after staying up all night yesterday. He could barely wonder what Slade would have him do tomorrow before he fell asleep.


	35. Having Fun

Robin got up as his communicator roused him. He left his room and walked through the halls of Slade's compound, reporting for his dinner. Reporting for meals was a bit humiliating, but it was just like all the rest. He had to report for everything: food, sleep, training, and everything else. Despite the fact that Slade kept his schedule very rigid, having him report for food at exactly the same time every day and informing him beforehand of both training sessions and missions, Robin couldn't help getting bored quite often. Aside from the essential, there was nothing to do. Usually he was just in his room. Occasionally, if he was allowed out of his room, Robin occupied his time by simply walking around the compound itself, staying out of places that were off-limits such as Slade's confidential hallway and the man's room. Robin also stayed out of Slade's way as best he could. Slade, a man who looked upon unproductivity with distain, was always busy with either training or planning, and if he spotted Robin being unproductive, he would require Robin to join him. Robin didn't want to be around the man any more than he had to, so he stayed in his room as much as possible. However, remaining in his room became insufferable most times, so Robin dodged out of his room, hiding from Slade to the best of his ability. Robin didn't know if he was getting any better at concealing himself since Slade had spotted him five times already within the past five days. It was like they'd been playing hide-and-go-seek. Yeah, right.

Robin, now standing in front of Slade in the main room, took the supplement Slade gave him. He ate it without much thought to the taste or texture. Sure, it was the same thing he'd been eating for the past . . . however long it'd been, but he was too hungry to care. No matter if Robin did little during the day or was pressed into a six hour training session, he always reported for meals ravenously hungry. So much so that once dinner or lunch or breakfast came he was excited to eat the same thing once again. And again, and again.

Robin swallowed, and the painful hunger in his stomach vanished instantly. He was glad that Slade's protein supplements, along with anything else he provided for Robin, worked so quickly. If it'd taken any longer Robin might've passed out.

"You are dismissed."

Robin left the main room, walking into the dining room and taking a bottle of water from the fridge. As long as he stayed away from Slade, he was okay. Slade wouldn't order Robin to return to his room for rest for at least another hour yet, so Robin would have to occupy his time until then. He could go back to his room now, but then he'd be alone with his thoughts and nothing to get his mind off his situation. At least here in the dining room he had bottles of water.

In fact . . .

Getting an idea, Robin grabbed a dozen water bottles from the fridge, placing them on the dining room table and proceeding to build a tower with them. Holding his breath, Robin managed to make a tower four stories high before dismantling the creation and trying something more difficult. Placing the bottles on their caps, he created a three-story tower by balancing each water bottle on the center of the previous one. He also made a tower of a single line of water bottles, managing to balance five water bottles on top of each other before the tower toppled.

Trying again, Robin couldn't help a leap of joy as he balanced the sixth water bottle on top of all the previous ones, pausing a bit as the tower wobbled. The tower held, and Robin laughed in joy and victory. Maybe he could make it seven stories high! He could! Amazing!

After becoming tired of his game, Robin invented a new one. Taking a half-full water bottle, he tossed it so that it swung around in a loop before hitting the table. It slid to a stop and didn't fall over. Taking another water bottle, Robin attempted to toss the second water bottle in such a way so that the cap of the second fell onto and balanced on the cap of the first. On the first three times, he failed utterly. However, on the fourth try, Robin saw that it was possible that he could pull this off. Robin's focus lasered as he readied his toss. He tossed and waited with baited breath. The water bottle wavered for a moment, then stilled. Robin gasped in joy.

"Yes!" he shouted, making a fist and pumping it near his body. He clamped a hand over his mouth and looked toward the dining room hall, afraid that Slade had heard him. After he realized that Slade wasn't approaching, Robin leaped around the room a bit in victory. He'd done it! Excited now, Robin took the two water bottles and tried again. They stuck and held. Now he could go for three! Robin bit his lip in concentration as he took the third water bottle and readied his toss. This was going to work. He was going to be the best water bottle thrower in Jump City! He —

"What are you doing?"

Robin froze, then looked over to where Slade stood in the corner of the room. Instantly, Robin dropped the water bottle and put his head down, feeling like a young child that'd just been caught trying to snitch dessert early. "N-nothing," he muttered.

"Is that so?" Slade asked.

"I was just really thirsty," Robin said, picking up the water bottle from the ground and draining the entire bottle within seconds. He grimaced briefly as pain shot through his stomach, but he quickly went over to the other four bottles on the table and picked another up, about to bring it to his lips when a weapon of Slade's suddenly shot across the room, cutting through the bottle and spraying water all over Robin.

"If an accuracy test is what you desire, a training simulation can be created for that purpose."

Accuracy tests. More like dodging for his life and trying to hit the center mark every time or risk immense pain that bordered on torture. Those weren't fun. This was. But Slade didn't care about fun. He didn't care about anything that wasn't productive. Robin wiped his face and shook his head.

"So, Robin, what was consuming your time?" Slade asked again, holding out his hand as his weapon returned.

Robin threw a look over at Slade, then shrugged.

"You were being unproductive."

Robin winced at the word. Then he glared over at Slade. "It's not unproductive."

Slade's eye flashed briefly, but Robin continued.

"Fun's not unproductive, Slade. It's really relaxing and . . . fun. I'd be surprised if you even knew how to _have_ fun." Robin looked over at Slade, and in that instant, Slade's expression seemed to melt into something Robin couldn't decipher. Humor? Condescension?

"My methods of relaxation and enjoyment are much more . . . mature than yours would be, Robin," Slade said.

"So you get a rush when you kill people?" Robin spat. "Or just when you force me to be your apprentice and servant?"

Slade chuckled a bit at this. "If your amount of free time is large enough for you to commit yourself to pointless games, then your time needs to be occupied." Slade turned and walked out of the room. "Come."

Robin bit back a groan as he followed Slade. Now he was going to train himself into exhaustion. Why hadn't he just kept his mouth shut? Sighing, Robin glanced over his shoulder at the water bottles on the table before walking after the man. He'd been so close, too . . .


	36. Faking It

A plan. Robin had a plan. It'd come to him suddenly, struck him like lightning, but if he could make the plan work, he might have a chance. Just last night, a single thought had floated into his semiconscious mind right before sleep, and Robin had struck gold. If he could get Slade to trust him, to believe that he had him and that he _enjoyed_ staying here and being under him, then there was a chance that Slade's watchful eye would become lax and turn the other way for just a moment. Then, he might have a chance of escaping or freeing the Titans or . . . something.

Robin had woken up at four hundred hours in order to prepare. After requesting use of the shower, he'd bolted himself up in the bathroom, spending the next four hours in front of the mirror, practicing and even convincing himself to believe the things he said. Making sure every mannerism was spot-on, Robin sighed and grinned at his reflection. He couldn't mess this up. The instant he reported for breakfast, the plan would begin. Then Robin would see how good he really was.

"Robin."

Robin started a bit, then took a deep breath and relaxed his body. "Yeah?"

"Report for sustenance."

"Okay. Sure." So far, so good. Robin felt that he was staying casual and light, not overplaying his hand or trying too hard. He had to make this perfect. Exiting the bathroom, Robin walked into the dining room where Slade waited. Robin caught the protein supplement Slade tossed to him, and he casually leaned against the wall as he swallowed his allotment of food. "So, what are we doing today?" Robin asked.

Slade looked at him, saying nothing.

"Are we going to train, or do you have a job for me?"

Slade's eye narrowed, so Robin countered by raising his eyebrows and smiling a bit, inwardly wanting to run or scream or fight. No, he to make this believable. He had to do this.

"Come here."

Robin, forcing himself not to falter or pause, walked over to Slade and stood in front of him, staring up at him in curiousness. "Yeah?"

Abruptly, Slade placed a hand on Robin's arm, and Robin tensed for a millisecond before

relaxing, praying that Slade hadn't felt the change. Slade felt his other arm, then his chest and stomach before drawing back and taking something from his utility belt. Robin, still forcing his expression to be friendly, watched Slade pull out a small container. He opened the container, and Robin saw several small, white pills. After examining the container's contents for a moment, Slade pocketed the container and turned to Robin.

"What are you doing?" Slade asked.

Robin blinked, then smiled hesitantly for good measure. "What are you talking about—"

"I'm pleased that you are lying," Slade interrupted, "however, your ability to convince needs work."

Robin frowned, then threw a playful grin up at Slade, almost becoming sick at what he was doing. "I'm not lying, Slade. I just . . . like it here."

"Is that so?"

Robin looked up at Slade and nodded. When Slade reached down and grabbed Robin by the chin, Robin's face twitched for a moment before melting into an expression of contentment. He could only hope that he was convincing.

Slade chuckled and pushed Robin's head away, then made a move to leave the room.

"Are we going to train?" Robin asked, forcing himself to run after Slade instead of staying in the dining room like he wanted.

"We will not," Slade said. "I have a pressing matter to attend to."

Robin blinked, then nodded. "Can I help?"

Slade looked at Robin again, then seemed to smile. "You can assist me in my preparations. Come."

Robin followed Slade into the training room, and he was surprised to see a table at the other end of the room with parts of some sort of weapon lying on the table. Slade turned to Robin, and Robin paused his walk and looked up at Slade, flashing the man a smile.

"Do you enjoy being here?" Slade asked.

Robin swallowed and smiled again. "Yes."

"Do you enjoy serving me?"

Robin forced himself not to cringe as he answered. "Yes."

"Would you do anything I ask you?"

Robin blinked, holding back a frown. "Yes."

Slade's eye now glowed, and he suddenly rushed Robin, pushing him against a wall. "Anything?" he whispered.

Robin, struggling briefly, realized that he might blow his cover if he fought back and went limp a few seconds later. He looked up at Slade. Though Robin neither liked Slade's tone or the situation, he needed this to work. "Y-yes."

After a moment, Slade released him and turned away, and Robin took a shaky breath before straightening up.

"Assemble this."  
Robin, thankful for his reflexes, caught several parts of what looked like a laser gun. After assembling the weapon, he noticed Slade's looking in his direction and began inspecting the weapon with excitement. "Cool," he said, handing the weapon to Slade. "What's it for?"

"There is something I require," Slade said, taking the weapon from Robin.

"Great. What do you want me to steal?" Robin asked, rubbing his hands together.

Slade paused and looked at Robin again, then turned away. Robin thought he saw the man smile. "We will leave this compound at twenty-one hundred hours."

Robin blinked as he thought it over. So Slade already starting to trust him if he was allowing his accompaniment on solo missions. That was good. So far all was well, but if he could only figure out some way to make Slade trust him completely . . . Robin glanced over, saw Slade looking his way, then panicked for a moment before smiling at the man. "Awesome. I'll be ready. Where are we going?"

"To Jump City."

Well, that was a stupid question. Robin frowned a bit. "What'll we be doing?"

Slade turned away. "Be ready, Robin. Until then, we will train."

Robin smiled, this time actually being genuine. Training, or more specifically, fighting Slade, was something he enjoyed immensely. Having his skills matched while simultaneously striving to be better always gave him a rush. Slade faced him, and Robin nodded and pulled out his bow staff. In an instant, their fight began, and the two didn't stop sparring until many hours later when it was time to leave.

"You know," Robin said, facing Slade in the dining room as he took another drink of water, "you're really good at fighting."

Slade paused and looked over at Robin. "You are not convincing, Robin."  
Robin blinked, then smiled even wider, not understanding but still not wanting to blow his cover. "What are—"

"Do you think I am unaware of your motives?" Slade whispered. "As if you could pretend, for even an instant, that you enjoy being in my presence in an attempt to cause me to drop my guard. Robin, are you that naïve?"

Robin blushed once, then tried to cover his tracks. "I-I don't know . . . what you're talking about."

"Yes, Robin, you truly do not," Slade said, his eye now glowing.

Robin blushed even deeper this time, and he drank the rest of his water rapidly, coughing as the last swallow went down wrong.

"We leave now," Slade said, walking toward the dining room's exit. He glanced back at Robin. "Follow."

Robin, shaking off his nervousness, laughed a bit as he followed Slade and vaguely wondered if he was fighting a losing battle. No, he had to do this! What other choice did he have? He'd already tried everything else. If this didn't work, Robin might as well give up. This was his last hope. This needed to work.

The two of them left the compound and raced to Jump City, and, after dodging through the shadows, Slade led Robin to the side of a tall building.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked.

"Up." Slade took out a weapon, pressed it to unsheathe the blade, then pressed a button on the outside of his wrist. Instantly, the weapon seemed to be drawn to the palm of Slade's hand and stick there, and Slade did this with another weapon so that he now had two hooks to climb with. Even if he let go of the blades, they wouldn't come off.

Robin, taking his own weapons out, followed Slade's actions pressed a button on the outside of his wrist and feeling the weapon instantly be drawn to his hand as though pulled in by a magnet. The weapon stuck, and Robin did the same with the other weapon before standing in front of the building he was to scale. Pushing the blade into the structure, Robin tested it for a moment and began to climb, hardly afraid of heights due to his days in the circus and his refusal to look down. Slade began his quick assent as well, and soon the two of them were on the roof. Robin, glancing over at Slade, saw the man press the same button on his wrist again and pocket his weapons. Robin did the same, feeling the weapon detach as he pressed the button. Next, Robin watched as Slade took out the laser gun he'd assembled several hours before. Slade attached a scope on the gun, then checked the sights before nodding.


	37. Misunderstanding

"You still haven't told me what we're going to steal," Robin said, glancing around.

Slade turned to Robin, his eye narrowing. "Your act is done, Robin."

Robin blinked, then grinned again. "I don't—"

The punch took Robin's breath away, and he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Robin panted for a few moments, then knew that his act was over. Slade knew; it was useless to continue any further. Exhaling harshly, Robin looked up at Slade and glared at the man.

"Good," Slade said.

"Y-you still haven't told me why we're here," Robin groaned, rubbing his abdomen.

Slade chuckled. "Come now, Robin. Do you truly think you're here to _steal_?"

Robin blinked, now unsure of what he previously thought was fact. If they weren't here to steal anything, why were they standing on a rooftop in the middle of the night? Robin glanced at the sky, shrugging. "Meteor shower?"

"Incorrect."

Robin's eyes wandered to the laser gun in Slade's hand. "You want to check the sights on your weapon. Big deal."

Slade turned to him. "Tell me then, Robin. What would happen if I fired this weapon at you?"

"It'd bounce off my uniform," Robin said.

"And if you were wearing different attire?"

"From this range, it'd burn a hole right through me," Robin said, grimacing. "Why is that even a question?"

"Therein lies your answer."

Robin frowned, going over their recent conversation half a dozen times in his head. He still didn't . . . what was Slade talking about?

"You do not seem to understand, Robin," here Slade looked at Robin, and his eye glowed, "what I do _best_."

Suddenly all the pieces crashed into place. Robin staggered backward with a gasp, shaking his head. "S-Slade, you wouldn't—"

"Yes, Robin. I would."

"N-no," Robin said, his voice rising. "Slade, don't—"

Abruptly, Slade attacked him. Robin hardly had time to scream before Slade pinned him to the ground, their faces inches apart. "What would you do, Robin? Attack me? Stop me?"

"Y-you can't," Robin whispered. "Let me go. I don't . . . you can't keep me here."  
"It was your choice to come, Robin," Slade said, "and it is a mistake that will cost you dearly."

Robin gasped, looking from the weapon to Slade. "N-no," he muttered, trying to break free. "I — don't—"

"On the contrary, Robin," Slade hissed, leaning even closer. "I can make you do anything."

Robin tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. Why had he tried to deceive Slade and trick the man into letting down his guard? Did he actually think it would work? Was he that foolish to think that he could better a man who'd mastered the art ten lifetimes over?

Robin thought he saw Slade smile, and the man looked almost predatorial as he released Robin, stood up, and picked his weapon off the ground, looking down at the city below.

"It seems you face a dilemma," Slade said.

Robin pulled himself into a sitting position, shaking his head. "Slade, please," he whispered. "Let me leave. Let me go." Robin lowered his head, not even caring that he was practically groveling. He didn't want to be here. He wanted — needed to leave. He couldn't do this; he couldn't stay here.

Slade reached down and picked Robin up by the scruff of his uniform. Robin blinked once, then looked directly at Slade, opening his mouth twice before his voice finally found him. "Please," he muttered. "Please let me go."

Slade's eye narrowed, and he threw Robin down, turning away from him. "I will finish my work alone. Leave."

Robin looked up at Slade and grinned, his smile genuine this time. "Thank you," he breathed. He was about to leave when Slade tossed something over his shoulder. Robin caught it, then inspected what was in his hand and saw that it was a small, white pill. He looked over at Slade.

"Take that as you begin your descent."

Robin paused, looking at the pill. "What does it do?"

Slade said nothing, but he lifted the weapon in his hand higher. "Leave."

Robin, now feeling sick, swallowed the pill instantly, went to the side of the building and pulled out two of Slade's weapons, and began his descent. He knew that he would never again

try what he'd just attempted. It was so foolish and stupid. He'd nearly had to stay and . . .

Robin pushed the thought from his mind as he hit the ground, glad he was far away from the

roof where Slade stood. He turned away from the building and was about to return to Slade's lair when a strange feeling came over him. He ignored it and began walking, but the feeling suddenly grew, causing Robin to gasp, stumble, and fall to his knees.

What was wrong with him? What was wrong with his body? Why was he feeling this way? Slade was only a few hundred feet away from him, preparing . . . and here he was, on his hands and knees, consumed by emotions that made no sense. What was he doing? Why . . . slowly, a vague thought formed in Robin's head. Were these emotions caused by the pill that Slade had given him? It made sense; it'd come on suddenly and with no warning or lead-in. But still, why would Slade present him with such an object? It was odd to say the least, and, considering the situation, disgusting to say the most. He shouldn't be feeling this way.

Biting back a groan, Robin tried hard to fight it, but the feeling was spreading over his entire body. Coughing once and briefly wondering if Slade had completed his task some hundred feet above him, the pill's effects took advantage of his lapse in concentration and suddenly consumed him. Instantly, something inside him changed. Robin, his eyes dilating, tipped his head back, his entire body tingling as he felt intense warmth spreading throughout his being. Closing his eyes, Robin relaxed as he stretched out on the ground.

He thought he heard something in the distance, but whatever it was, it mattered little. The only thing that mattered was his own breathing. All he wanted to do was remain, feeling this way for the rest of time. It'd been so long — years, even — since he'd even felt half . . .

Then, abruptly, the feeling vanished. Robin clawed at what he'd felt, desperate for it to stay, but it was too late. It was gone. The instant Robin returned to normal, he sat up, gasping as he realized what he'd done and feeling horrified with himself. What was wrong with him? Even with such a substance inside him, how could he feel such _things_ when some hundred feet above him, stood Slade? How could he?

"It seems you are enjoying yourself."

Robin glanced over his shoulder, gritting his teeth when he saw Slade standing behind him.

Desperate to get away, Robin tried to push himself to his feet and was stunned when his arms and legs merely gave way beneath him and he crashed to the ground. "W-what'd you do t-to me?" he asked, surprised that his speech seemed uneven.

"Such an adrenaline rush as yours will take many hours to recover from," Slade said, walking toward Robin.

"Why?" Robin asked, trying again to get up and failing.

Slade merely chuckled, then reached down and grabbed Robin by the collar of his uniform, dragging him like a cat would her newborn.

"Perhaps one day your feelings of such emotions will be genuine," Slade whispered in Robin's ear, "when you do my job."

Robin glared up at Slade, but a sudden wave of tiredness forced him to ignore a comeback. He barely had time to realize that Slade was carrying a set of blueprints in his other hand before he passed out.


	38. Not a Choice

Pain was the best teacher; it was the only teacher. Within a number of days that Robin didn't know, he now knew what to think and how to act. All he had to do was follow orders and not think of ways to escape. All he had to do was submit himself to a life of servitude. That way, no pain would occur. It wasn't as if Robin hadn't tried to fight it. He'd tried so hard. He'd woken up in the dead of night, wondering if at night the suit turned off or its power decreased. His screams had answered that question. He'd attempted thousands of times to rip the suit off his skin. No luck. Escaping during a mission was also impossible. Trying to trick Slade was impossible, as was attacking the man. Both had ended brutally.

Now all he could do was exist. Exist and hope with the shreds that remained that there was still a way out of this. Still an escape —

Robin fell hard. Gasping in a shudder, Robin drew himself to his feet as he reported to Slade again. That was how it was. Unless he was either training, eating, or performing a job for Slade, he was stuck in his room. Though Robin hated the fact that he was working for his enemy, it was a relief to get outside the compound and be away from Slade. Remember, even a little bit, what freedom felt like. But it was not freedom. As long as he wore this . . . prison, it never would be.

"Go."

Robin raced from the room, barely hearing Slade's words. Robin knew the sort of punishments that awaited him if he didn't follow Slade's instructions exactly, so he did everything the man told him to do with the best of his ability. What other choice did he have? He couldn't fight the pain that threatened to consume him with every disobedient thought he entertained.

Robin climbed out of Slade's lair and stood up. Not bothering to be quiet since no one was here, Robin pushed open the door to Slade's old lair and froze when he found him face-to-face with Starfire. Starfire gasped.

"St—" The pain nearly killed Robin, and he was vaguely aware that Starfire had collapsed beside him, screaming out her pain as well as the red lines on her arms pulsed like fire and her entire body spasmed. Robin knew he couldn't speak to her. Couldn't even think of her or else the suit might kill him. So, not even glancing behind him for fear that he would look into her emerald eyes and break even farther, Robin simply crawled forward, wiping his face briefly before he staggered to his feet and began running away. She was his friend, and yet, she was not. The Titans were his friends, but they couldn't be. He was alone.

Robin collapsed the instant he exited the building, no longer feeling as though his entire body

was on fire. He'd seen her. She was alive. The Titans, they were, hopefully all right as well and — Robin's body heaved as he was thrown to the ground in pain. Panting raggedly, Robin sat up.

"Robin."

Robin closed his eyes tightly, wanting nothing more than to take the communicator out of his ear and smash it. To run away and never return. But neither of those were options. He choked out a gasp and bit his lip harshly to stop it from trembling. "W-why are you doing this?" Robin whispered.

"You have your orders," was all Slade said. "Go."

Robin staggered to his feet, dizzy for a moment before he starting walking toward Jump City. The Titans. His friends, they — Robin staggered again. Gritting his teeth, he kept moving forward, a flash of Slade's decapitating one of his robots a painful reminder of what could happen if Robin decided not to obey. It wasn't as if he could, though. Slade, as he'd said before, could force him to do anything.

Anything.

Steeling his nerves and resolution, Robin refused to allow himself to think of his friends again. With every step forward, he felt himself becoming more focused. He had his orders; orders were all that mattered. Get in. Steal. Get out. Make no sound and alert no authorities. Don't get caught. These were the orders Slade had given him, and Robin, knowing again of his punishment, followed Slade's command without question or thought. He could do this. And that, perhaps, was what scared Robin the most.

He would do this; he had to. Breathing out, Robin cleared his mind of all else except the mission Slade had given him. It was just a mission, and Robin was thankful that Slade hadn't, as of yet, given him orders to kill anyone. The man had gotten close, but Robin had evaded through sheer luck and degradation. No, this was just stealing. That wasn't very bad.

. . . right?

After gaining access to the building he was to infiltrate, Robin entered the weapons room and looked around, inspecting each weapon he passed as though he were at a candy store deciding upon which flavor to buy. The first weapon he saw was an axe. Though the blade was made pure electricity, Robin discarded it. It was too messy; Slade would not accept it. The next weapon Robin saw was a bomb. Now things were getting better. Though the bomb was small and easily concealable, it wasn't powerful enough to do the kind of damage Slade required. The third weapon Robin saw caused him to pause. It was a heavy-duty blaster capable of causing great damage. Robin nodded as he drew closer, realizing that this was just what Slade wanted. It was lethal, yet small. Armored, yet light. No bigger than a sniper rifle but five times as deadly. With one well-placed shot, it could fell a skyscraper, probably killing a couple hundred people inside the building while trapping the rest in the rubble below and suffocating —

What was _wrong with him_?!

After only a dozen or so jobs, was this the way he was already starting to think? Robin's thoughts betrayed him in that instant, and he feared that he was already starting to turn into something he swore he never would. Did Slade have that much of a hold on his body and mind? Did he have that much control? Robin considered, sighing in defeat. What was he supposed to do, though? When all his other emotions were forcefully suppressed, how was he to think?

Robin gritted his teeth. He was already taking his first step of no return. He hated it. Hated the thoughts that crept into his mind and made him think he really would be in this life forever. And not only be in it, but enjoy it.

He was no villain, and yet, he'd believed Slade to be a hero. He was such a fool.

Robin grabbed the blaster, sighing and pausing for a moment, listening. Had he heard something? No, it was probably just his nerves playing tricks on him. There was no way he could be detected; he disabled all of the video cameras on the way in by placing a device of Slade's on the main frame of the building's system which scrambled all of the camera's images for exactly five minutes. It hadn't been longer than five minutes. Hadn't.

Turning and leaving the room, Robin ran down the hallway he entered by, glancing up at one of the security cameras for good measure as he passed and sighing in relief when he saw that it didn't move. He was fine; he was all right. The vent he could escape by was only a few feet away, and soon he'd be back reporting to Slade —

Something hit him from behind. Robin gave a surprised yelp as he was knocked to the floor, and he rose and faced whatever was attacking him, more confused than worried or scared. Suddenly, he felt two more hits to the back and was then forced to his knees with his hands pulled to the top of his head. What —

The lights in the compound blazed. Robin blinked, his eyes adjusted, and Robin looked on, horrified to see himself surrounded by half a dozen guards, all pointing laser guns at him. He froze.

He'd been seen. He'd been caught. No.


	39. Moral Compass

Everything that Slade had said and taught him came back in a rush, and all this sudden information seemed to short-circuit his mind and leave him sitting there, blank and unsure what to do. Should he fight? Run? Wait for an order?

"Slade," he whispered. "Help me."

But no answer came, and Robin was horrified when he realized the kind of help that Slade was giving him. He could feel the suit's reacting for him, and he was aware that his free hand was reaching down for a weapon.

"No, please," he whispered. "Don't."

Robin knew what was coming, and he managed to drop the blaster in his other hand and reach up to his communicator, knowing no other way of stopping Slade. He couldn't resist. No, he couldn't reason or fight the man. But maybe, if he simply did this, Slade would pause or hesitate. "S-Slade," he whispered, "please don't do this. Please, I'll do anything. Just — don't, I—" Still no response came, and Robin's suit was following its creator's orders. Robin screamed as he felt his hand close over a bomb, and he wished the laser shots that the guards fired would simply run him through and end this for him. "Slade, no," he continued, still trying to break through. "Don't make me do this." His hand raised the bomb, and though Robin fought with all his might, he couldn't resist the pull of Slade's technology. "Please, Master . . ."

Robin didn't know, why at that moment, he'd remembered such a memory. Back when Robin was Slade's apprentice, right before the Titans had saved him, Slade had ordered Robin to call him by such a name. He would've rather died than do it then, but now, desperate beyond caring and belief and realization, he said the wretched name. He called Slade by the name he swore he would not.

The suit froze. Robin's teeth were chattering and he prayed that Slade would allow him to pocket the weapon. The guards, however, still stood around him, their weapons leveled at him in nervousness. Why weren't they running? Why hadn't they left?

Robin wished he could fall to his face, but the suit held him in his current position for what seemed like a lifetime. He could only hope that he'd broken through. " _Please_." Robin felt his thumb press the bomb's center. He choked and nearly passed out when he realized that the bomb was now activated. It was as though he were watching himself from outside his body as his hand readied to throw the bomb. Was it really he who was doing this?

The guards were screaming. Robin tried again to hesitate and give the guards time to flee, but it only caused his suit to react faster. " _Slade, please, NO_!" It wasn't real. Yet, Robin saw the bomb fly through the air, and he was vaguely aware that he was screaming as well. It was his arm. Yes, his hand throwing the bomb. His eyes were burning now, and time seemed to slow down as the bomb fell. The instant the bomb made contact with the floor, Robin's body spasmed and took cover, though his mind screamed at him to face the bomb head-on and be annihilated by the explosion. When the bomb hit, it consumed the entire room in flames. Robin hardly felt any pain due to his suit's protection, but he again wished with all his might that the flames and explosions would consume him as it did the rest of the building. He heard the guards' screams and was aware that his own screams were like theirs, yet somehow different. Robin, pressing his face to the floor, remained unmoving until the flames and explosions subsided. Maybe if he didn't move, Slade would think him dead. Maybe if he stayed here, he could morn for the loss of more than . . . but it was not to be. The instant he was no longer in danger, the suit forced him to rise, turn, and look at the guards who lay unmoving on the ground.

But Robin was weak. Picking up the blaster that was unharmed in the explosion due to the weapon's having armor, Robin fled. He didn't want to check; he didn't want to know. Fleeing through vent he'd entered by, the moment Robin was outside the building his breath caught as his body spasmed. Panting heavily, Robin slid to the ground on the outside of the building he'd just infiltrated, still unable to believe it. He turned and did the same again, then placed his head in his hands.

At that moment, Robin lifted his head, letting out a single sound and not caring if the guards inside heard it. He didn't care if he was captured; he probably deserved it considering what he'd just done. But Slade would allow him no time to rest or recover. Instantly, the suit was pulling him to his feet against his will, forcing him forward, and he staggered away from the building, hating everything inside him. Robin made his way back to Slade as though sleepwalking, and his posture was withered when he reported to Slade some time later with the weapon he'd stolen in hand.

"Excellent work," Slade said, taking the weapon from him. "You are learning."

Robin's eyes were still burning and his jaw tensed, but he cared little. All Robin did was turn away and close his eyes. Why hadn't he been able to — "How could you?" he whispered. "How could you make me—"

"Calm yourself," Slade said, stepping toward Robin. "I have a gift for you."

Robin blinked, mentally unbalanced for a moment as Slade's words sunk into him. Why was Slade giving him a gift? "What are you—"

Slade abruptly tossed Robin something, and Robin, upon catching the object, inspected it. He

gasped and staggered backward when he realized what it was, sickened by Slade's motives and disgusted by his own actions of pausing momentarily before throwing the thing into the darkness. He couldn't; he wouldn't. It was beyond horrible. "How could you offer me that?"

Robin whispered. "How could you think that—"

"Your eyes brightened."

Robin blinked hard, then clenched his fists as he pushed the thought from him. "The guards," he moaned. "I didn't — but you—"

"I did what was necessary."

"It was _not necessary_!" Robin screamed, agony searing his chest that had nothing to do with the suit he wore. "How . . . why did you make me do that?!"

"I did what you could not."

Robin fell to his knees, though it wasn't pain that brought him there. "Slade, I can't—"

"You just did."

"I'm not supposed to do this! I'm a—"

Slade rushed Robin suddenly, picking him off the floor and pinning him to a wall. Robin struggled for a few moments in Slade's grip before he looked at the man, desperately wishing he could get away or simply take back what'd already happened.

"You are not, Robin. Not anymore. Congratulations."

Robin gasped and blinked, and when the man let him go, Robin fell to his knees again. His body shook once, then, looking again at Slade, Robin screamed and fled. The instant he was inside his room, Robin threw himself onto the bed, not caring if Slade saw or heard him. The man was right; Robin was no longer what he believed himself to be. The person he used to know wouldn't have done such things, wouldn't have done what he just did. He'd actually . . . maybe not willingly, but it'd still been the suit he'd allowed onto himself. It'd been his body, his arm. He'd been the one who raised the bomb . . .

Instantly, Robin rolled to the side of the bed. It'd come on suddenly, and he didn't even have time to think of anything else except what was happening to him. It was too late.

Robin rolled back onto his bed and covered his face with his hands, absolutely repulsed. How could he have done such a thing? Why hadn't he fought it more? Maybe if he'd just tried a bit harder, he could've prevented it from happening. But he'd been weak and scared of what Slade would do. He'd practically allowed it.

He was weak, and he would stay here forever because of that.

Robin closed his eyes, trying not to think of what he'd just done. But what else could he think about? Practically any other thought brought pain, so all he was left with was a string of negative emotions that launched him into a spiral of depression.

He'd done it. It was his fault. Robin beat his fist into his pillow until he felt blood, then he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to tear off this suit and leave, even if it meant getting killed in the process.

But he would be stuck here. Unless a miracle presented itself, Robin would be forced to remain, and his moral compass would be pushed until it shattered completely. He had no other choice. He would stay. With Slade.


	40. Reaction

Robin opened his eyes, already screaming as he sat up and looked around wildly. He didn't know what was going on; all he knew was that his world seemed to be crumbling. His body, drenched in sweat, was freezing, and it felt as though someone were pressing on his chest and making it impossible for him to breathe. No one, however, was in his room. What was going on?

With another scream, Robin rolled off his bed and fell to the floor, gasping in breath after breath. It was somehow worse than the suit's reaction, but it wasn't Slade's technology that was harming him. What was happening to him; was he dying?

Groaning, Robin's armor suddenly felt very heavy, and he halfheartedly clawed at it before realizing that it wouldn't come off. Everything felt heavy, and he screamed again, gripping his head in his hands while still being unable to understand what was going on. So fearful of the possible consequences was Robin that he didn't even care that he was reaching up and pressing his communicator. "S-Slade," he said, "something's wrong with me." Waiting for several seconds, Robin heard no answer. His panic worsened as his breathing steadily became more labored. Would he suffocate? "S-Slade," he groaned, "please . . ." Still hearing nothing, Robin's thoughts went into overdrive as he considered how to get the man to respond. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please, I need you to . . ." Robin choked and felt his vision hazing over, but he heard the door to his room open and recognized the footsteps long before he saw the armor. Robin looked up, hoping that his expression would spur Slade into action.

Slade, however, said nothing. He simply remained and watched.

Each breath hurt, and Robin's body continued to spasm as he screamed for no reason whatsoever. It felt as though he were choking or as if someone had punctured his lungs and made it impossible for him to breathe. He tipped his head back and inhaled again, but his inhalation was shallow and Robin could feel his vision become hazy again. A sudden scream caused his body to jolt. "Slade," he muttered, "wh-what's happening to me?"

The man neither blinked nor moved forward.

Using all his strength, Robin pushed himself off the floor and staggered toward Slade, hoping with everything in him that Slade wouldn't stand by and watch him die. "H-Help me, Slade," he whispered. "Please, help—"

The hit to his face threw Robin to the ground, and he curled up on the floor, now wishing that he hadn't even contacted Slade in the first place.

"Pathetic," Slade hissed.

Robin lay on the ground, stunned into his frozen position on the floor. His breathing caught and he screamed again, unable to prevent his body from spasming.

"Get up."

Rough hands pulled Robin to his feet, nearly dislocating his shoulder. Robin felt a painful hit to his back, then Slade's hand under his chin, tipping his head upward slightly.

"Breathe."

The other hand was on Robin's arm, like a painful warning of what might happen if he chose not to obey. It wasn't as if Robin had any other choice, though. Clenching his jaw, Robin breathed in once, but after a moment, the pain and suffocating feeling returned, and Robin began to breathe faster.

The lights in his room went out suddenly, and Robin, panicking, fought to escape Slade's grip that did not yield. He threw a punch at Slade which the man blocked, then Robin felt another blow to his face that nearly knocked him unconscious.

"Calm yourself and breathe."

Robin, still struggling to inhale, stood there for several seconds, frozen. He relaxed his stance when he realized that Slade wasn't trying to kill him, and when Slade placed a hand over Robin's mask, Robin understood that the man wanted him to close his eyes. This Robin did, not allowing himself to think of anything else other than his own breathing. He coughed once and felt his body begin to tense, but Slade gripped his arm even tighter and Robin relaxed. All he could hear now was the sound of his own breathing, and within half a minute he was automatically matching Slade's own breathing meter.

Robin, now calm, opened his eyes and inhaled deeply. He wasn't dying anymore. He wasn't

suffocating. "S-Slade," he said, glancing up at the man twice then averting his gaze. "T-thank you for—"

The slap somehow hurt more than his suit's punishment ever had. Robin opened his mouth in shock and blinked hard, his chest feeling tight again for a completely different reason. Keeping his eyes low, Robin was glad when he heard Slade's footsteps retreat and leave the room half a minute later. He blinked hard again, then clenched his fists and sat down.

He hadn't expected Slade to care; he hadn't even expected the man to help. But he'd been practically suffocating — dying, even — and Slade had simply . . .

Robin gritted his teeth and turned away from the video camera he knew was watching, forcing himself to calm down and breath slowly. He didn't want whatever had just happened to him to happen again. Whether or not this was because Robin didn't like the suffocating feeling or because he hadn't enjoyed Slade's reaction, he didn't know.

At least now he could go back to sleep, though it wasn't as if he would very well considering the dreams he'd probably be having.


	41. Already Slipping

Robin rose the next day, exiting his room and passing by the silent rooms of his friends as he reported to Slade for training. It was almost unreal to think of what'd he'd done just last night, and it was still fresh in his memory as though it'd happened just five minutes ago. Slipping into the bathroom, Robin took a drink and scrubbed his face in the sink, rising and not bothering to look at his reflection before making his way to the training room.

"Today we will spar," Slade said once Robin entered the training room, "and I will see how far you've progressed."

For some reason, hearing Slade's voice set Robin on edge. He glared up at the man, not caring that the suit was punishing him for his thoughts. "Progressed?" he spat. "Do you call what you made me do yesterday progression? That's not progression, that's blackmail—"

"I was surprised, actually," Slade said, his eye glowing. "How little you resisted."  
Robin gasped and he staggered backward. Why did he do this? Hadn't he learned, after all this time, that using tactics such as these against Slade always resulted in him losing? The man held mastery over this. It didn't matter whenever Robin set his own bait or took the one that lay there; the results were always the same.

Robin, however, was still proud. He refused to quit. "I did resist," he growled.

"Your reaction wasn't nearly as violent as it was on the rooftop," Slade said coolly.

Robin stepped back again, faltering. Were Slade's words really true? "I . . . resisted."

"On the contrary. You practically threw the bomb yourself."

Robin screamed, falling to the floor and pressing his face in his hands. He couldn't believe it, and yet it was as though Slade had stated the small voice that was in the back of his head, forever haunting him. Did that —

"Do you require alternative measures to relieve your current emotional state?"

Robin, blinking twice, looked up at Slade, not even understanding what the man had just said. He gasped when he saw what Slade was holding, and Robin turned away. He clenched his fists and shook his head. "Get that away from me," he muttered.

"Is it easier this way?" Slade asked calmly. "For your thoughts to remain on the horrible things you've done?"

Robin, his vision becoming blurry now, blinked hard and coughed out his exhalation, grinding his teeth together. "It was your fault," he said, heaving as he took a breath.

"On the contrary, Robin."

In that instant, Robin's emotions reached their peak. He rushed Slade with a scream, throwing a punch at the man which Slade caught in a casual air.

Robin steeled his jaw and his nerves and turned away from Slade, relaxing momentarily before whipping around and trying to kick the man in the chest. Slade blocked the blow again, then took a step back to study Robin.

"Underhanded," Slade said. "Very good."

Robin spat on the floor and glared up at Slade. The suit punished him for this, but he didn't care. Suddenly, Slade attacked. Robin, still in pain from the suit he wore, was knocked off his feet. He landed on his side and swung around on his hands, kicking out and trying to knock Slade off-balance. Slade flipped away and stood up, hands behind his back.

"Come now, Robin. Focus. You can do better."

Growling, Robin pushed himself to his feet and attacked again, trying to punch Slade but being unable to hit the man even once. Slade dodged every attack and returned with blows that all made contact. It was the suit's fault. He couldn't train when he was in pain; he couldn't fight. Slade used this to his advantage, beating Robin horribly. Robin vaguely wondered if this was because he'd resisted throwing the bomb . . . no, he couldn't think about that. Shouting in anger, Robin tried to strike Slade but missed as the suit reacted again, bringing him down to his face. How was he supposed to fight like this? Maybe if he listened to Slade and really did focus, he'd do better.

Breathing in and rising, Robin focused all his energy on taking down his opponent. Instantly, he began striking harder and more accurately, looking for an opening and taking any opportunity to make contact.

"Good," Slade said. "Better."

Robin barely heard the man as he continued his assault, his shouts ringing on the walls as he fought. He could do this; he could take Slade down. Then the man would be dead and he would be — Robin screamed in pain and Slade punched him in the stomach, forcing him to the ground. How he wanted Slade dead! He wanted to see the man's blood flow, wanted Slade on his knees, and Robin didn't care how it happened. Maybe if he used the molecular displacer, then that would do the job. Or he could swipe one of the weapons that Slade had off the walls. Would a bomb suffice?

Wait . . . what was he doing? Was this Slade's fault? Placing such thoughts inside his head? Or was it he himself? Was he the one who, after several weeks or months with Slade — to Robin all the days ran together — was thinking these things? Was it really that easy for Slade to change him into this?

Furious now, more with himself than with Slade, Robin attacked again, not caring that the suit threatened to tear him apart. He attacked with vicious, savage intentions, not noticing that Slade's eye now glowed brightly. Finally, the two broke apart from their sparring.

"Impressive," Slade said.

Robin, panting now, said nothing.

"Training is over and will commence tomorrow at six hundred hours. You are dismissed."

Robin left and walked back to his room, his anger burning him as the suit did the same. How could Slade force him to do the things he was doing, think the things he was thinking? Was Slade controlling his mind as well as his body? Still seething, Robin was just about to enter his bedroom when a door several feet away from him opened and out walked Cyborg.

Robin barely had to see his friend's face before the pain brought him to his face. Cyborg fell as well, and Robin bit his lip as he heard his friend's scream. He was aware that Cyborg was stumbling to his feet, racing to get away and report to Slade. Robin couldn't do this. Cyborg was alive, yes, but he couldn't bear seeing his friends in so much pain or feeling it himself —

Robin collapsed inside the doorway to his room, pulling himself inside and shutting the door. Cyborg was alive. His friends, or at least Starfire and Cyborg, were still okay. They were alive; they were — Robin screamed, wondering if Cyborg could hear it. Wondering if Slade could hear it and was smiling. He shook his thoughts away, forcing himself to think of anything else other than his friends. He didn't have the luxury of freedom of thought anymore. Slade had taken that away, along with everything else. His friends, the Tower, his body, his freedom . . . it

was all gone. It all belonged to Slade.

Robin pulled himself onto his bed, breathing in several times before relaxing. He wondered if he would stay here forever, doing the same jobs over and over again until it became second nature to him. Maybe he would even become used to it. Perhaps he would throw more bombs at more guards and —

Robin breathed out violently and buried his face in his pillow, hating that Slade was always watching him. What was he to do? Spend his time in his room training and becoming a better criminal? Of better use to Slade? He'd rather sleep. He'd rather lie here unmoving. It wasn't as if he weren't exhausted every time he returned to his room, anyway. Slade worked him to the bone, if not by training, then by missions. It was as much a threat as it was a chore to keep him busy. He probably did the same thing to the Titans as well.

Robin coughed and clenched his fists as the pain wracked his body again. He took a deep breath and refused to think of his friends any more, and the pain subsided. However, thirty or so minutes later Robin thought he heard something. Though his room was soundproof, it seemed as if, from far away, someone were screaming. Robin thought he heard shouts, then explosions. But maybe it was his imagination. Maybe he was going crazy.

"Robin, report for your sustenance."

Robin opened his eyes and groaned, not even realizing that he'd drifted off. He ground his teeth before getting up, hating that he had to report to Slade even for his meals. It was humiliating and disgusting. But, Robin knew that if he didn't accept the food Slade offered willingly, then he'd be forced to take it, which was even worse.

Exiting his room, Robin passed his friends' rooms without thinking of them, making his way to the main room. As soon as he entered the main room, however, Robin froze. On the floor of the main room, on the walls even, were copious amounts of blood. What had happened? Robin looked up at Slade in horrified confusion, but Slade seemed neither surprised nor bothered by what he was surrounded by. "Slade, w-what happened?"

Slade simply tossed Robin a protein supplement, acting as though being surrounded by massive amounts of blood was the most natural thing in the world. "Your shape-shifting friend seems to enjoy disobeying orders."

Robin choked and staggered as he looked around again. No. It was too late. Beast Boy. _No_.

"You didn't," he whispered.

Slade turned away from Robin. "It matters not. Consume your nutrition and return—"

" _No!_ " Robin screamed, not caring the way Slade's eye flashed. "Slade, how could you?!"

"Calm yourself."

Robin was on his knees now, his face pressed into the floor. "No!" he roared, his voice cracking. "Slade, how could you do that?!"

Slade picked Robin up and shoved his face into a wall, twisting his arm behind his back. "He is not dead, Robin."

"You're lying," Robin muttered, his entire body shaking.

"He is too valuable," Slade said.

Robin said nothing, and when Slade released him, Robin slid to the floor, still shaking. Leaning down, Slade took the protein supplement out of Robin's hand and forced it into his mouth, and Robin almost spat it out in defiance. How could he do this?

"Leave."

With a groan of despair, Robin staggered to his feet and left the room. He walked the hallway

toward his room, using the wall to support himself as he continued on, still unable to believe it. Slade had done it. Beast Boy. _No_.

Robin was in so much distress that he didn't even notice that Raven was walking toward him. He looked up, saw her approaching, and felt the suit shock him. He turned away, refusing to look at her, but right at the moment she passed, Raven raised her hand and coughed.

"Three hundred hours," she whispered.

Robin blinked, pausing a moment before walking on, his mind racing. What had she meant? Was there a plan to escape? Something they were going to tell him; something they had found out? Were they actually going to break out and — Robin fell to his hands and knees, then struggled to his feet and entered his bedroom. All right. Three hundred hours. He would be ready. Opening the door to his room, Robin sat down and thought it all over. He felt a combination of exhilaration and despair, of hope and pain.

Pain both physical and mental. They had a plan. Something was going on or had happened to give them hope. The suit shocked him, but faded as his hope was replaced with grief. Beast Boy. He was dead. Slade had killed him. Was this what would really happen to the rest of the team if they didn't obey Slade? Would they all die, one-by-one, unless they submitted to him? Perish or serve?

Robin rubbed his face and bit his lip. Beast Boy was dead. He was gone. The grief at this realization was enough to paralyze Robin.

Yet there was also a plan. Maybe they would escape. And Robin, gritting his teeth as the suit's technology attacked him, prayed that it would be soon. Because if they didn't escape together, they would die in isolation.

They would die as Beast Boy had.


	42. Defiance

Robin lay in his bed, trying to remain unmoving as he waited for the time to be three hundred hours. Slade's video camera was on him. They were on everyone. Robin couldn't take any chances and let Slade know that for some reason, he was still awake. But it wasn't as if he'd be able to sleep anyway. _Beast Boy_ . . .

He'd already made mistakes before; he couldn't afford another one. Because another mistake could result in the . . . remaining Titans' permanent downfall.

Robin sighed and rolled over, glancing at the clock before closing his eyes again. It was time. Any moment now, something would happen; Robin didn't know what. Then, Robin heard it. A faint clicking. It was so quiet that, even in the soundlessness of his room, Robin still strained to hear it. If he'd been asleep, or if he hadn't even been paying absolute attention at exactly this moment, Robin knew he wouldn't have picked it up. He closed his eyes and listened again, realizing what was happening. He recognized the sound of Cyborg's metallic finger on the walls of his room.

Morse code.

Hardly daring to breathe, Robin listened, carefully moving his body closer to the wall so that he could press his ear to the steel.

 _Beast Boy_ , the code said. _Mission_ , _need_. . . _escape_. _Used bomb_. _Building destroyed_. _Litter of kittens_ . . . _rescue_ . . . _Slade use suit to_. . . _kill_. . . _Beast Boy refuse_. . .

Robin gasped as the weight of the message crashed over him. So there was a way to resist the suit? A way to prevent Slade from forcing him to do something?

 _How_? Robin asked through Morse code.

 _Can't talk_. _Will . . . caught . . ._

Frantically, Robin tapped a single message, almost not wanting to ask it _. Beast Boy, alive?_

 _Yes_.

Robin almost passed out in relief. So Slade had been telling the truth. Beast Boy wasn't dead. He _wasn't dead!_ If it hadn't been three in the morning, Robin would've leapt to his feet and celebrated. As it was, Robin made much more noise than he should've by laughing for a few seconds before rolling over and closing his eyes. For once, his dreams would be pleasant, even if his thoughts were unable to be so. Beast Boy was alive. And they had a plan. Robin smiled, not even caring that the suit was shocking him.

TT TT TT TT

Robin opened his eyes, groaning as he realized that his alarm was going off. He rolled over and turned the alarm off, suddenly sitting up in panic when he realized that he had training with Slade this morning. Looking at his alarm closer, Robin's blood chilled when he saw that he was already fifteen minutes late. Slade would not be pleased. Robin was up instantly, pounding his fist on the door when he remembered it was locked. He tapped his communicator. "Slade, open the door." The door opened, and Robin rushed out, sprinting to the training room. He panted and put his hands on his knees as he stood in front of Slade. "I didn't know that it was—"

"You are late."

Robin nodded. "I know, I—"

"I ordered you to be here at exactly six hundred hours." Slade turned to face Robin, a

dangerous glow in his eye. "What events in your life were more important than obeying a command?"

Robin, thinking back to the Morse code signal he'd exchanged with the Titans several hours before, blinked. He looked at Slade then looked away. "I just . . . wanted to see how you'd react if I got here late." Robin glared up at Slade, trying to cover up his words with teenage defiance. The suit shocked him, but he ignored it.

Slade's eye narrowed. "I see."

"So, are we going to train?" Robin asked, hoping he could effectively change the subject.

Slade said nothing and began to circle him. Robin, starting to feel threatened, swallowed.

"At three hundred hours this morning, I awoke to a strange sound," Slade said. "Do you know what it was?"

Robin blinked, not understanding. "What?"

"It was laughter, Robin. Your laughter."

Robin froze, not daring to breath, and closed his eyes. ". . . so?"

"Tell me: why were you laughing?"

Robin looked up at Slade, feeling cornered. He had to get out, fast. "I had a dream," he said quickly. "About my friends and—"

"Then the suit would've punished you."

Slade had stopped moving, and Robin felt that the trap was about to spring. He looked over his shoulder. "Slade, I want to eat—"

Suddenly Slade grabbed him and forced him against the wall of the training room. "Do you remember what I told you?" he whispered.

"Y-yes," Robin said, trying to break free but finding himself pinned.

"I gave you an order, Robin."

Slade's eye was now cold, but Robin knew he couldn't say anything. He _wouldn't_ say anything. He was stronger than Slade thought he was. He could fight this, just as Beast Boy had! "I don't answer to you," Robin snarled.

" _What was that_?"

Robin glared up at Slade, saying nothing and not caring that the man was irate.

" _Robin_."

Robin held his ground, either too stubborn or too stupid to see the dangerous aura surrounding Slade. The man's words were now whispers, and Robin knew that he would either yield now or go past the point of no return. Breathing in, Robin did something he'd never done before.

He spat in Slade's face.


	43. Punishment

Slade turned away, recoiling briefly from what had happened. Then Slade brought his face forward, and Robin knew his mistake. Slade's eye had now changed to something dark and cruel, something Robin had never seen before. The terror hit Robin in a wave, and he suddenly feared for his life.

"S-Slade, I'm sorry," he whispered, already shaking and desperate to take back what he'd done. "I'm sorry, I—"

Slade's grip went to Robin's neck, and he pulled Robin away from the wall for a moment before slamming him back against the wall and cracking Robin's head on the steel. Slade did this twice more, and as Robin was pulled away a third time he felt something bubble in his throat.

"Slade, I'm sorry," he coughed. "Please, stop."

But Slade only tossed Robin to the floor. Robin landed hard, then attempted to get to his feet. Slade, however, was there first. A punch to the stomach and a kick to the back brought Robin down. He heard Slade leap away and had a brief thought of hope. Maybe he could attack Slade or escape or — but the suit was there to stop him, and Robin only had a second's warning of the of the sound of metal on metal before the weapons hit him from all sides and angles, cutting into his skin and slashing him horribly. Robin barely had time to scream before Slade's hand was at his throat again, throwing him across the room and proceeding to beat him again without ceasing.

The pain was too great. It was like Slade's technology, but somehow worse than that.

"P-please," Robin begged. " _Stop_."

"No, Robin."

He should've backed down. He shouldn't have stood up to Slade. Now he was paying for it a hundredfold. The pain continued; Slade kept attacking him, sometimes using his suit against him to make it worse. Robin couldn't take it. He couldn't take anything anymore.

"S-Slade . . . Master . . ."

Slade paused, froze for a moment, and looked down at Robin.

Robin looked up at Slade and reached a shaking arm out to the man, hoping he'd struck a nerve. His voice was barely above a ragged whisper when he spoke. "M-Master—"

The bow staff came out of nowhere. It struck Robin on the head, and Robin felt his neck snap at an odd angle. Then he fell, choking and gasping for breath. Pain in his head exploded, but for some reason he found it difficult to move or even scream. He managed to look over at Slade and was horrified to see that Slade was approaching him again. This was it; his life was over.

Reaching down, Robin cried out in terror as Slade picked him up by the scruff of his uniform and tossed him out of the room. Robin let out a groan of pain as he fell heavily in the doorway.

"Next time I will not be so lenient. Leave."

Robin tried to pull himself forward, but his arms were shaking too badly to move himself. He couldn't get up, couldn't force his legs to move.

A painful kick to the stomach sent Robin rolling and crashing into the wall opposite the training room. He coughed, gasped, then suddenly felt very ill. Desperate to get away from Slade, Robin forced his body into motion and crawled to the bathroom. Barely had he made it to the bathroom before the pain in his head physically manifested itself. He remained in the bathroom for the next twenty minutes before curling up on the floor, shuddering and vaguely wondering if he would die here due to such massive levels of agony.

Robin stopped breathing when he heard the footsteps approaching, and he looked up in silence, horrified to see Slade standing over him. Robin curled up even tighter and placed his hands in front of him as a protective measure, but Slade swatted his hands away and lifted him off the ground.

"You require medical attention."

Robin was hardly conscious as Slade tossed him to the ground in the main room, and he was vaguely aware that Slade was using his communicator and calling someone to report. Robin blinked, seeing first four, then two, then one Slade.

" _Robin_!"

Robin's head lolled to the side, and he saw Raven rushing toward him, all the blood drained from her face. Instantly, he felt her healing powers upon him, and his semiconscious state vanished. He could now move his neck very easily. Sitting up, he watched Raven heal his remaining injuries as she glared over at Slade.

"First Beast Boy, then you," she muttered. "Who's next?"

Robin hadn't been thinking any of those thoughts. He was just happy to be alive.

"You're horrible, Slade!" she shouted at him, and Robin saw her black power welling up around her body before she screamed. Her gloves burned and pulsed on her arms, seeming to affect her entire body as well. She fell to the floor in despair.

"How precious," Slade chuckled, watching nearby from the shadows. "Should I injure the Tamaranian next? Or the metal one?"

Raven's eyes widened, and Robin saw that she focused again on healing him and didn't look at Slade again. Her gloves, however, didn't stop pulsing. After Robin inspected each one of his limbs and neck and felt no pain, he nodded to Raven.

"You are dismissed," Slade said to Raven.

Raven's jaw twitched, but Robin saw that she buried her rage and didn't snap again. Raven looked over at Slade, turned back at Robin, then nodded and fled the room. Robin slowly got to his feet, not bothering to thank Raven for healing him or even entertain the thought of her in his mind. It caused him too much pain. He'd been through so much already, and he didn't want anything more to happen to him. Robin heard Slade approaching him, but he didn't look at the man, only at the door that led back to his room. He refused to look at the man who'd cause him so much already.

"Report at twenty-one hundred hours tomorrow for a mission," Slade said.

Robin said nothing, only rubbed the place where Slade had struck him with a bow staff and nodded.

"You are dismissed."

Turning, Robin left the room, glad beyond words to simply be alive. Slade had almost killed him. If it hadn't been for Raven, he already would be dead. So would Beast Boy. It was what they both got for their disobedience. What if Raven wasn't there to save them next time?

Slade had already warned him that he wouldn't be so lenient the next time around. Did that mean Slade would kill him if he disobeyed again? But what if Slade asked him to kill again? Would Robin be forced to make a choice that no one should? Robin collapsed onto his bed, staring at his alarm and not knowing what to do. Now Slade wanted him to steal again. After nearly murdering him, did the man actually think that he would follow — Robin rolled off his bed and hit the floor, unable to deal with the suit's pain so soon after Slade's torment. Robin climbed back onto his bed and thought of nothing, wishing that he could simply fall asleep and never wake up. Or be free again, because a caged Robin was worse than one who had never been born.


	44. No Choice

Another day, another job. Stealing. Robbery. It was all the same to Robin. Obey. Wait for a chance to — Robin gritted his teeth — not escape. Do what the man wanted. For now — for always. Spotting a vantage point, Robin leaped and made it to the rooftop of the building, kicking in the ceiling and dropping to the floor below. His hands were sweaty as he listened briefly, making there were no guards nearby or on this entire floor. He didn't want to be caught again.

"I'm in," Robin said.

"Proceed."

Robin continued, seeing a camera off to his left and disabling it with a weapon. He ducked into a storage room, kicking in another vent and sliding downward as the vent took him another two floors further into the building. Rolling out into a closet, Robin disentangled himself before slowly opening the door and dodging down the hall, placing a bomb on the locked weapons' door and blowing it open. He was in.

"I'm taking a weapon," Robin reported. "I'll return shortly."

"Acknowledged."

Now getting better, Robin only had to briefly sweep the room with his eyes before choosing the deadliest weapon there: a handheld laser. Maybe Slade was giving him an easier job this time because of what had happened yesterday.

Pushing both the memories and the pain aside, Robin exited the room and was startled when he heard guards walking toward him. Instantly, Robin panicked. Pocketing the laser, he began running toward the end of the hall, passing the closet he'd exited out of and was supposed to return by. Thankfully, the end of the hall was a glass window, and Robin, unhesitating, jumped through it, shielding his face with his hands and thankful that his light armor protected him from injuries such as these. He began to fall and reached down for his grappling hook.

Until he realized it wasn't there.

Frantically, Robin searched his entire utility belt, his thoughts freezing when he realized that

Slade hadn't given him one. What was he to do now? A fall from this height would — was going to kill him. Robin screamed as he fell head-over-heels through the air, then remembered that he had help.

"Slade!" he shouted on his communicator.

"Report."

He couldn't explain what had happened. No time. "I'm falling!"

"There are rocket jets in the soles of your boots. Use them."

Robin nearly passed out. The ground was getting closer. "H-how?" Robin was vaguely aware that the suit was reacting for him, and before he knew what he was doing he'd leaned down in midair and pressed two buttons on the insides of his ankles. Instantly, a rocket jet shot out of his boots, slowing his descent. He was a foot above the ground when he pressed the buttons on his ankles again and turned the jets off, landing gently.

But Robin wasn't safe yet. Hearing the alarms go off at the building he'd just robbed, Robin knew he had to get away. His feet pounded on the street as he raced from the building. He'd been careless. He couldn't be caught. Not again —

Robin didn't know what he'd hit, all he knew was that suddenly he was tripping and falling

and rolling to his feet. He turned around to see that a young boy, about eight years old, had fallen to the street and was rubbing his arm. After a split second check to make sure the boy was all right, Robin continued on. Hardly had he taken a step, however, when Slade's voice came through his communicator.

"What are you doing?"

"Returning," Robin said, panting slightly. "The alarms went off, but I stole a laser and I'm on my way—"

"You were seen."

Robin blinked, then froze, choking. No, not this. The boy was a child. A kid. How could he do something so wicked? "Slade, no."

"You will do what is necessary," Slade said.

"P-please," Robin whispered, falling to his knees though the man couldn't see him.

"Follow my orders, Robin."  
Robin was violently shaking his head, but he was unable to prevent the suit from bringing him to his feet and forcing him to run after the child. The kid, scared now, took off running, but Robin followed easily. "Slade, don't make me do this!"

"Do you remember what I told you?"

Robin saw the child duck into an alleyway. He choked and was forced to follow. "Please, Slade! I'll do anything! Don't make me _do this_!"

"You will."

Robin was walking toward the kid cowering at the end of the alleyway, and every step made him sick. He couldn't resist it; the technology was too strong. "S-Slade, he whispered. "If this is about what I did yesterday—"

"It is not."

"If this is about anything I've _ever done_!" Robin was screaming now as his hands forcibly took out the laser he'd stolen. "Please, Slade, don't make me do this, and I promise I'll never disobey you as long as I—"

"Then obey me now."

Robin brought the weapon up. "P-please! _Master_ , please!"

"No."

" _No_!" Robin screamed. He leveled the weapon at the terrified boy. " _Please, Master, please, don't make me do this_!"

"Robin."

Something in Robin snapped as he pulled the trigger. He didn't know what it was, but somehow, at the very instant he was to end the child's life, his body managed to move on its own, avoiding the boy's head by millimeters. The laser burned a hole through the wall he'd been cowering against, and instantly the terrified boy took off, pushing past Robin and fleeing out of the alleyway.

Robin fell to his knees, dropping the weapon and swaying from pain. He breathed once, shallowly, then coughed in relief. He'd done it. He hadn't killed. Somehow or another, he'd managed not to —

" _Robin_."

Robin flinched at Slade's tone, and a sudden feeling of dread came over him. He'd disobeyed a direct order. He'd gone against the man's wishes for the second time. Maybe he could flee. Maybe he could run away and never return and —

Robin screamed as the suit, shocking him as never before, forced him to his feet and made

him pick up his weapon, walk out of the alleyway, and go back to Slade's lair. Something horrible was coming; Robin knew it. His thoughts began to imagine what Slade would to do him once he returned, but the thoughts were so horrible and gruesome that he had to force himself not to think about it or else he would pass out from fright.

Robin's feet carried him away from Jump City, and the darkness inside of Slade's old lair suddenly struck him. As he descended into the bowels of Slade's new lair, he realized just how cold the place was. And when he opened the door and stepped into the main room to report, he swallowed once.

"Robin."

"Slade, I'm sorry," Robin said, launching into an apology instantly. "I'm sorry, I—"

"You disobeyed a direct order."  
Robin turned; it now sounded as though Slade's voice were coming from behind him. He clenched his fists and fought to stay calm. "Slade, it was a kid. A child. I'm sorry; I panicked. I didn't want to kill him, and—"

"Did I ask for an explanation?"

Robin fell silent, shaking now, and he was aware that Slade had taken the laser weapon out of his hands. "Is it good?" he whispered.

Slade said nothing, and Robin's terror only grew. Biting his lip, Robin tried not to assume any posture or position that could make the man even angrier . . .

"There are so many secrets that you protect, Robin."

Robin's head shot up, and his breathing hitched. Something was coming. Slade's words dissipated in the room like a vapor, and Robin almost grew angry at how the man wouldn't elaborate. What was going to happen to him? Was Slade going to kill him? If not, then what was he going to —

"What would happen if I removed all of your barriers?"

Robin blinked, then stared at Slade, not understanding. What was the man talking about?

"Has our first conversation eluded your memory so swiftly?" Slade asked.

Robin frowned, his eyes darting from left to right as he tried to remember. But he could not, and only when Slade made a single, brief motion to illuminate Robin did he understand. Robin froze, then began shaking his head in desperation. _No_. _Not this_.

Slade stepped forward.


	45. Return Your Self

Robin took several steps backward, almost becoming sick. Slade wouldn't do this. He couldn't. But Slade was already moving forward. Instantly, Robin reacted. He raced over to the door that led to freedom, pulling on the handle and gritting his teeth when he realized that the door was locked and would only open with a password.

Robin turned next and saw the weapons on the wall behind him. He rushed toward the wall, already picking out his weapon, when he suddenly crashed into a force field that threw him backward. Biting his lip, Robin leapt to his feet and turned to the last door in the room.

He was running faster than he'd ever run in his life. He was pulling open the door and stepping into the next room, looking around at the hallways. Food. Training. Sleep.

 _Sleep_. His friends. Hardly thinking, Robin was running down the hallway where his friends were, screaming as he pounded on each door. He could hear them all, faintly, shouting back at him and screaming as the pain consumed them. But Robin felt no pain. All he felt was terror as he realized that his friends were on the other side of a single inch of steel, yet he was completely alone.

Robin choked when he heard the footsteps approaching, and he desperately tried to think of a

way to escape. The suit was now practically burning Robin alive, and he fell hard, still trying to crawl forward and get away from what he knew was coming. But Slade was merciless. Robin screamed again when he felt the suit drag him to his feet and force him to walk back to the main room. The door locked behind him. He was trapped.

Robin shook his head as he felt himself take a step forward. "Slade, if you have any respect for me at all, please don't _do this_!"

At this, Slade only laughed. "Why should I give you something you refuse to give me?"

Slade brought Robin toward him, and halfway to the man, Robin fell to his face, not caring about the degrading posture he was assuming.

" _Please,_ " he whispered. "Please, _Master_ , don't do this."

Slade said nothing, only forced the suit to bring Robin to his knees. Robin kept his head bowed and his eyes shut, not even caring that his entire body was shaking outrightly.

Maybe if he said it enough, Slade would yield. "Please, Master," he whispered. "Please."

"Rise."

Robin didn't care anymore as the suit forced him to his feet. "Please, Master." As if to prepare Robin for what he knew was coming, Robin felt Slade's hand brush against the side of his face and he, fighting out of the suit's iron hold for a moment, flinched away slightly. Slade slapped him. "Please. Master, I'll do anything."

"I know."

Robin felt it then. Slade's hand, gripping the corner of his mask. Instantly, Robin exhaled and was screaming and choking all at once. "Master, no, I'm sorry. _Please, Master, please_!"

"It's too late for that."

The mask was torn from his face. Robin exhaled again, keeping his eyes shut and his head bowed as he vainly attempted to bring his hands up to cover his face. He couldn't do it; his arms wouldn't move.

"Look at me."

Robin felt the suit force his head upward against his will, and he wished that Slade were

beating him to within an inch of his life again. That would've been better than this.

"Open your eyes."

No one had ever seen him like this. Not even the Titans. He couldn't do it; he refused. Why couldn't Slade just let him go? Why did he have to do this?! "I'll serve you always," Robin whispered. "Please, just let me go."

"Open your eyes," Slade repeated.

No. No. Please, no. Robin wished that he could throw his body against a wall and knock himself unconscious. But the suit held him fast. He couldn't move. " _Master_ ," he whispered. Robin let out an animalistic cry as his eyes opened suddenly. He looked up at Slade for a second, for a year, then he saw Slade's eye narrow as the man threw Robin's mask onto the floor next to him.

"Return your self."

The suit's hold on Robin broke, and he crumbled to the floor, pressing his hands against his face as his emotions consumed him. He didn't know if Slade was still in the room; he didn't care. Shaking, Robin felt around for his mask until one of his hands gripped it, and he pressed it back onto his eyes in an attempt to hide himself. It was too late; Slade had already done the

unthinkable.

Robin remained on the floor, still shaking violently some twenty minutes later when he heard Slade's footsteps apparently return and near him. Suddenly, Slade reached down and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform, shaking him once before dropping him. Robin didn't flinch; he only kept his head down.

"Leave," Slade ordered.

Robin staggered from the room, wishing that Slade had beaten him. That boy . . . Robin hadn't killed him, and for that he was beyond grateful, but his subsequent punishment had almost been just as worse. He could still hear his friends' shouts from their rooms, but he ignored them. What could he do, anyway? He, a leader who'd just had everything taken from him.

He couldn't free them or save them. He couldn't even protect himself.

Robin sat down on his bed, gripped the sides of his face with one hand, then turned away from the camera. He knew he had to escape; he had to get away. But he didn't know how, and every thought on the subject forced him to think about mind numbing amounts of pain, about how stupid he was. Why had they trusted Slade?

Why had he trusted Slade?

Robin pulled a weapon out and stared at the blade, considering. He couldn't think of anything anymore without feeling agony. All he knew was that he hadn't been able to resist the pull of Slade's technology on his skin. Though he'd somehow managed to avoid killing that boy, he hadn't been able to fight Slade when the man had . . .

Robin clenched his jaw so tightly that he feared it would break. He wanted to crawl in a hole and never see the light of day again. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to escape and never look back. Still staring at his weapon, a thought came to Robin. He could leave; he could get out. He could escape, if only . . .

The suit was shocking him, but he hardly felt it. All he knew was that he was bringing the weapon nearer, staring at it.

Suddenly, the suit spasmed as it never had before, punishing him violently. Robin, crying out, dropped the weapon. It fell to the floor.

He turned away. Slade's technology wouldn't even let him do that.


	46. A Need

Robin opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was dark in his room, but here, it was always dark. There was no light and little hope. He hadn't seen the Titans in what seemed like years. He wondered if they were still alive.

"Report for training."  
Closing his eyes, Robin got up and inhaled shakily. His door opened for him, but Robin, instead of immediately reporting to Slade, went into the bathroom instead, stepping into the shower and turning on the spray, not caring that he was fully clothed.

"Robin."

Though Robin wanted to remain under the hot water that temporarily made him forget that he was here, he knew that he had to face Slade. Silently, Robin turned off the water to the shower and stepped out of the bathroom, not caring that he was dripping all over the floor. Entering the training room, Robin stood in front of Slade. He kept his head bowed. He didn't care if Slade knew.

"We will spar."

Robin only pressed the corner of his mask to make sure it was still attached, saying nothing. Why was Slade making him do this? Why couldn't he remain, alone, in his room for just one day? He didn't want to fight; he didn't want to be here. He wanted to escape or just talk to or

think about the Titans without being punished. But since those were not options, he wanted to remain in his room. He wanted to try to get over everything that had happened to him.

The hit to his stomach took Robin's breath away, and he flew several feet before hitting the

ground. Maybe if he didn't move, Slade would call training off and let him go. He didn't want to face the man.

"Rise."

Robin got up but took no fighting stance. He simply stood and waited for the blow to come. A kick to the side threw Robin down. Slade ordered him to rise, and Robin obeyed. Again, Robin was thrown down. This happened three more times, and Robin wondered if Slade was enjoying it. He just wanted to get away. Robin braced himself as he got to his feet and heard Slade's approach again. He felt Slade's hand on the side of his face and knew that a punch was coming . . .

Robin screamed and leapt backward, adrenaline flooding his body as he looked up at Slade. Slade's eye narrowed, and the man relaxed his fighting stance and turned away from him.

"Return to your room."

Robin couldn't help laughing a bit. Slade was letting him go. However, Robin's relief faltered when he remembered that his room held a video camera. He looked over at Slade, desperate to ask the man his question. But Robin found that something inside him resisted speaking at all. He opened his mouth twice to speak, yet nothing came out. Despite the fact that Robin sensed no anger in the man's aura, his body still refused to speak.

"You may cleanse your body with water," Slade said, his back still to Robin.

Robin, relaxing and glad for once that Slade seemed to be able to read his mind, nodded.

"You will report tomorrow at eight hundred hours. Is that understood?"

Robin nodded again.

"You are dismissed for the day."

Robin raced from the room, glad beyond thought and words to be away from Slade. Now, even a little bit, was freedom. Slipping into the bathroom, Robin shut the door and sighed. There were no cameras here. None. Here he could _be_ , even if he still couldn't think. Blinking hard and stepping into the shower, Robin turned the water as hot as possible and stood under the stream, tipping his head back. He couldn't think about it; it was too painful. But nothing else would come to his mind. What Slade had done . . . it would've been better if Slade had killed him. It was so horrible; the man had taken away everything he was. What did he have left?

Little, if anything. Robin closed his eyes as the water washed over him, only hoping that Slade didn't hear.

Some minutes, or hours, later, Robin exited the shower, taking a towel and drying his hair before opening the door and allowing the steam to escape. He stepped out of the bathroom and felt an object beneath his foot. Retracting his step, Robin looked down and identified what was on the ground. Squatting down, Robin picked up the object and stared at it, laughing humorlessly. It was almost as if Slade cared. But Robin knew that he didn't. Slade seemed to be mocking him, offering him a temporary bite of freedom.

He felt so weak. Staring at the object in his hand and actually considering. He closed his hand then opened it again, almost wishing that the object would crush under pressure and then he wouldn't have to make his decision. Robin knew that he should've gone right to Slade and thrown the object in his face. He should've resisted and thrown it away. But it was too hard, and he was too tired of the continuous negative emotions that played endlessly through his mind.

He didn't just want this; he needed it. So Robin, shaking now and touching his mask once, lifted his hand and closed his eyes. He _needed it_.


	47. The Black Level

Robin awoke the following morning and left his room, feeling only marginally better than he had yesterday. His own emotional state, however, didn't matter to Slade. Obedience was the only thing Slade cared for. Rubbing his face twice, Robin breathed in and walked into the main room to report, still keeping his head low. He wasn't ready to look at the man again.

"Tonight, we will infiltrate the black level of Wayne Enterprises," Slade said.

Robin blinked once, almost believing himself to have heard wrong. The black level? No, Slade _had_ to be kidding. Robin ground his teeth as he waited for further instructions, or even for the man to recant his statement. He expected Slade to order him to steal something. Go on a mission. Train. Eat. Sleep. _Anything_. But Slade stayed silent, and this only furthered Robin's assumption that he had, indeed, heard correctly. He felt sick, and he gasped as the full weight of Slade's words instantly hit him, freezing him for a moment before he shook his head. Infiltrating such a place was a suicide mission; Robin might as well start planning his own funeral arrangements. The black level was the most heavily-guarded weapons room of Wayne Enterprises. The most heavily-guarded location within a thousand miles of Jump City. Probably the world. Billions of dollars were poured into round-the-clock security. Not even a dust particle could get by the thousands of security systems that encircled the room itself, and that wasn't including the hundreds of guards and robots that stood stationed at all hours of the day to kill any intruders. It was a thousand feet underground, impossible to get to unless a person was inside the building. From all angles, a maze flanked the room, bringing anyone who dared to infiltrate to either death or madness. Thousands of criminals had attempted and had left the compound in body bags. Now it was simply a legend.

How then did Slade expect him to make it out alive? Was he just sending Robin to his death?

Wait . . . we?

"Yes, Robin. You will assist me," Slade said.

Robin still didn't understand. It was suicide; no one made it out alive. No one even made it _in_ alive. And, at any rate, if they wanted any chance of success, why didn't the rest of the Titans accompany them? The suit shocked Robin, but his thoughts continued nonetheless. They could help; he could see them again.

"The other Titans are not skilled in the art of infiltration," Slade said, as though reading Robin's mind. "There would be a greater chance for error if they accompanied us."

Robin nodded again but grew sick as he realized that he was agreeing to go with Slade into the most dangerous facility in the world. It wasn't as if he had any choice, however. Slade's words were law; law was not disobeyed. Robin didn't want anything else taken from him.

"We will leave the compound at zero hundred hours," Slade said. "Is that understood?"

Robin nodded, and he was suddenly aware that Slade had approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Robin tensed.

"Verbal communication will be required on this mission, Robin," Slade said. "I expect audible answers."

Robin bowed his head even lower, nodding.

"I said, audible," Slade hissed, shaking Robin by the shoulder.

"Y-yes, Slade," Robin muttered.

"Good," Slade said, releasing him. "You will report at twenty hundred hours to go over blueprints and plans."

"Yes, Slade," Robin whispered.

"You are dismissed."  
Robin left the room, returning to his own bedroom and laying down on the bed. Maybe there was a way he could get out of this. If he went to the training room and exhausted himself, maybe Slade would leave him behind. That wouldn't work. He couldn't escape, and he knew he couldn't reason with Slade or give the man any excuse that he'd believe. And if Robin forcibly injured himself, Slade would have Raven heal him just as before.

They were actually going to do this. They were going straight into a warzone; they were marching toward their own funerals. Robin only wished that he could've told the Titans goodbye.


	48. No Problem

Though sleep was difficult, Robin managed, and he woke half an hour early so he'd be ready at the appropriate time. Stretching, Robin left his bedroom, walked into the dining room, and sat down. In four hours, they would be overlooking Wayne Enterprises, and soon they would be inside the black level itself. Slade entered the room, but Robin was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't notice.

"Robin."

Robin looked over at Slade who was leaning against a nearby wall.

"Eat."

A protein supplement was tossed to Robin, but he missed catching it and had to retrieve it from the floor. Standing up, Robin ate his dinner, his nostrils flaring briefly before he returned to his chair and pretended that nothing had happened. Robin glanced at the clock that hung on the wall before sitting down.

Far too soon for Robin's liking, they would leave this compound and race into the Jump City night. They would descend one thousand feet, practically acclimatize themselves to the atmosphere, then enter. If they were lucky, they might come back with only a lost arm or leg. Sighing once, Robin reached up to his face, drawing on his lips as he sat and waited for Slade's command. The black level contained hundreds of rooms all designed to confuse and imprison people for eternity. These rooms, called "testing" rooms, were designed by the most brilliant minds in the world. Some of them tested the mind, others the body, but they were all the same. Impossible and deadly. Sometimes the bodies of the criminals weren't even discovered until years later.

Suddenly finding his chair uncomfortable, Robin got up, glanced at the clock again, and paced for a few moments before returning to his chair. He crossed his ankles the moment he sat down, placing his hands on his legs before glancing over at Slade.

"We will begin planning," Slade said, walking past Robin and out of the room. "Come."

Robin got up, hit his leg against the chair he'd been sitting on, stumbled once, and followed. They now stood in the training room as Slade brought up a special file. Robin recognized the blueprints of the black level, and he felt a bit sick. He didn't want to think about how Slade managed to obtain such confidential information.

The black level had dozens, hundreds of traps. Rooms that were designed to annihilate any living presence and other rooms with incredible amounts of light and sound designed to make the person inside go insane. Robin rubbed his neck as he inspected the blueprints. He was good, but he wasn't _that_ good. No one was. Was this really Slade's version of a punishment? If it was, wasn't there something a little less . . . lethal?

"Robin."

Robin blinked and looked over at Slade.

"I assume your former mentor taught you how to read blueprints, correct?"

Robin blinked again, surprised at the question. He nodded.

"Then why are you not studying them?"

Robin, catching Slade's undertone, turned back to the blueprints in front of him. He looked at the blueprints for a moment, then bit his lip.

What if they died? What if a security system detected them both and burned them alive or drowned them? What if several hundred guards caught and ended them? Robin knew that no one was imprisoned for breaking into the black level. There were no confinement quarters, no jail cells. Such a punishment wasn't severe enough.

Robin clenched his fists for a moment then began to repetitively rub his knuckles and fingers, finding comfort in the distraction. He frowned and wondered what time it was.

". . . best method of escape if spotted in hallway fifty-three?"

Robin glanced at the blueprints then jerkily looked at Slade. "I ate already."

Slade's eye narrowed, and he continued. "Cloaking, Robin. It will be essential to the success of this mission."

Robin's mind slowly comprehended Slade's words. How could they see each other if they were both invisible? Communicators would help, but if they were in a situation where both of them were invisible and unable to communicate because of guards, how would they stay together? Suddenly, Slade pressed a button on the inside of his wrist and disappeared from Robin's side. Robin looked around, trying but failing to see him.

"Your mask allows you to see heat waves," came Slade through Robin's communicator. "If you focus, you will be able to locate me."

Robin breathed in and focused, squinting slightly as he looked around the room. He stared around for a minute before shaking his head.

"Focus on the third corner of the room."

Robin, now knowing where to look, focused on the spot where Slade had said he was. It took him another minute, but he finally saw faint waves of heat, similar to a sun's rays striking the ground on a hot day, emanating from a corner of the room and forming the shape of a man. He pointed at Slade.

"Good," Slade said, becoming visible again as he rejoined Robin. "It will do little for security cameras, but guards will be blind to our presence and allow us to pass."

They were really going to do this. They were almost through planning and would be ready to leave momentarily. Robin looked back at the blueprints, suddenly feeling nauseous as he inspected the maze they would have to cross to get to the weapons room. He coughed once, put a hand on his stomach, then placed his other hand on Slade's arm to steady himself and prevent his legs from giving way.

"Robin."

Robin pulled his hand away from Slade's arm, standing up and inhaling deeply.

"Are you prepared for tonight's infiltration?"

Robin swallowed, glanced over at Slade, then licked his lips briefly. "We — leave at zero hundred hours."

Slade stood motionless for a moment, then walked toward the training room's exit. "The time

is now zero hundred hours. We leave immediately. And Robin" — here Slade turned to face

Robin, and Robin averted his gaze as the man approached — "if this mission fails, I will not be pleased."

Robin turned away, breathing out once. Was this Slade's idea of —

"Follow."

Robin followed two steps behind Slade, and they went into the main room. Robin watched Slade walk over to the long line of weapons at the far end of the room, and he wondered what kind of weapons the two of them would take. He was surprised, however, when all Slade took was several extra frequency bombs.

"Extra weight will slow us down," Slade said, and Robin was now quite sure that Slade was somehow reading his mind. "In this mission, speed is more important than power."

Robin nodded, and he walked after Slade as they left the compound, looking once over his shoulder before the door closed. He expected Slade to break into a run once they exited his old lair, but Slade merely continued walking as they approached Jump City. If he thought about it, it made sense; they wanted to conserve energy for the infiltration. Robin, however, ached to run. Walking towards his funeral was much more difficult than simply sprinting toward it. Every step was practically a physical injury to his body.


	49. Collapse

Finally, the Wayne Enterprises building came into view. Robin inhaled. Seeing no guards, Robin moved forward, but Slade stopped him.

"I will not hesitate," Slade said.

Robin, feeling sick again, blinked hard and nodded. Together, they moved and entered the building undetected, but Robin knew that the difficulty was just beginning. Dodging past two security cameras, he and Slade entered a closet, and Slade took a small laser out of his utility belt and immediately got to work drilling a hole in the floor. Robin closed his eyes, listening and hearing no guards outside, then he and Slade dropped through the floor into another room. After Slade flawlessly reattached the hole he'd made in the ceiling, the two continued on. On the far side of the room was a grate, and this Slade removed and entered the vent. Robin followed.

For the next ten minutes the two crawled downward at a forty-five degree angle, and several times Robin feared that he was going to slip, roll down the slope, and blow their cover. He was glad that the fabric of his suit seemed to grip the vent and prevent him from slipping.

Ahead, Robin could see light. The vent they were crawling in leveled off, and Slade removed another grate and stood up. Robin followed and looked around, seeing that they were inside what seemed to be a storage room with large boxes all around.

"We are nine hundred feet down," Slade said barely above a whisper. "From here on in, the difficulty will increase substantially."

Robin swallowed and nodded, suddenly feeling very hot. Fanning himself with his hand for a moment before wiping his gloves on his legs, Robin unconsciously scratched his head, then his arm, then his other arm. Slade cloaked himself, and Robin, pressing a button on the wrist of his suit, followed Slade's lead, never letting his focus waver lest he lose sight of Slade. The pair slipped out a door and ran down the hallway, having to stop every so often to avoid security cameras which saw through cloaking devices.

Finally, the two, still invisible, came to an elevator. The door opened, and both Robin and Slade pressed themselves into a wall as several guards passed without noticing their presence. Slade and Robin slipped into the elevator, and the doors were just about to close when a single guard ran into the elevator. The elevator shut and began its descent.

Robin closed his eyes as he pressed himself into the wall next to Slade, trying to will the

guard not to notice the two of them who were standing only three feet away. Robin knew what Slade would do to the guard if they were seen; he also knew what would happen if they were caught. Robin bit his lip until it bled, forcing himself not to make any sound.

Robin didn't even realize he was shaking until Slade grabbed his wrist, forcing him to still. The guard was now glancing over his shoulder and looking directly at both of them, but then the elevator opened and the guard exited. Sagging in relief, Robin followed when Slade exited. When Robin stepped out of the elevator, however, he paused when he saw three dozen security systems lined along the walls of the hallway in front of them. He'd seen a picture of this hallway back at the compound. This was it; they were finally here. This was the beginning of the black level.

Slade was moving forward, dodging the security system's cameras and sensors with agility, but Robin backed up into the elevator behind him, unable to move forward. He didn't have a death wish. The elevator doors were starting to close when he saw the shimmer of heat that was Slade appear in front of him and pull him out of the elevator. There was a storage room off to their left that was ajar, and Slade opened the door millimeter by millimeter until he could slip into the room and pull Robin in with him, closing the door by the same manner. Robin staggered into the room and leaned against a wall, blinking hard. They were going through with this. They were going to enter the black level and either never come out again or return in a coffin. He couldn't back out; it was too late. Suddenly, Robin felt someone grab his wrist. Screaming, Robin believed that they'd been caught, but he turned and realized that Slade had his arm and was uncloaking him. Slade became visible as well, and for the first time since his punishment, Robin voluntarily looked up at Slade, praying that the man would see his expression and call the entire infiltration off.

But Slade simply looked down at Robin and said nothing.

"Slade," Robin whispered, rubbing the side of his neck, "I can't—"

"You will," was all Slade said.

The noise outside of the closet seemed to blur into words which Robin couldn't understand. Slade was talking to him, but Robin was aware of nothing else except a suffocating feeling of entrapment, as though he'd been caught in a snare and a hunter was coming. He couldn't think at all; all he knew was that something inside him would collapse if he didn't escape immediately.

"Robin."

Robin looked up at Slade, his mind blank as though all the connectors between his mind and body had suddenly been eliminated.

"Are you prepared for this infiltration?"

Robin stared at Slade with eyes wide, trying hard to respond, but the man's words seem to bounce off him as though he were a very young child who didn't yet know how to comprehend or understand. It was as if his mind had shut down and was now in the process of rebooting.

"Are you prepared for this infiltration?" Slade asked again.

Robin looked over his shoulder as though having a seizure, then turned back to Slade. "I-I have . . . weapons—"

Slade reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small pill, showing it to Robin. Robin saw that this pill was half grey and half black. He looked back up at Slade.

"Take."

Robin, not even considering asking what it did, opened his mouth and allowed Slade to place the pill inside his mouth. He swallowed the pill instantly. Robin closed his eyes the instant he swallowed, finding now that his lips were trembling worse than ever. Tensing his mouth and biting his lip, Robin clenched his fists as he tried to calm his breathing. They were still going through with this. They were going to die.

Robin didn't know what happened then, but suddenly emotions overpowered him and the shock caused him to collapse to the floor. Something was happening that he didn't understand. His lungs seemed to be filling up with water, making each passing second harder and harder to breathe. The room itself blurred together into a mass of colors and shapes, and Robin felt as though he were hallucinating or going crazy. His hands scrabbled on the floor as he tried to find some position that offered relief, but this only made things worse. Wave after wave of emotions crashed over him, paralyzing him in a fetal position as he tried to breathe in. It felt as though he were dying. Was this going to kill him?


	50. Distraction

Then, at just the moment Robin thought he would break completely, the emotional waves faded. He exhaled sharply, then breathed raggedly for several moments as he regained his mental and physical awareness. But whatever was happing to him was not done. Robin had barely pulled himself up before his own emotions consumed him again, throwing him to the ground on his back. As he lay there eagle-spread, Robin found that he couldn't move. It was as though intense gravity were pressing him into the ground and preventing even an inhalation.

Robin then felt a wave of emotion strike him, and he arched his back and let out strangled gasp as it flooded through his system. He wanted it to end; wanted it to stop. But it was only just beginning.

As the waves became stronger, so did Robin's reaction. His body jolted as though he were being run through with electricity, and he vaguely wondered why Slade didn't seem to be concerned with their being caught. All other thoughts were pushed from Robin's head as the emotions overwhelmed him and Robin gave in completely, unable to hold back any longer. He was screaming now, every time his body spasmed and shook Robin let out a cry to match his reaction. His vision hazed and blurred as he struggled to breathe in over his violent, coughing exhalations. Eyes stinging, Robin blinked hard, shutting his eyes in an attempt to place a barrier between himself and Slade. This move, however, only made the emotions come on stronger. Still the waves grew, and Robin hadn't known that his emotions could reach such a height. He couldn't take it; it was too strong. The waves wracked his body, threatening to tear both his body and mind apart.

Then, abruptly, the emotional peak inside Robin crashed to the ground, stilling and allowing him rest. Sitting up and panting, Robin blinked and began to compose himself. Absolute exhaustion overcame him, and Robin felt himself about to pass out as though he'd just sprinted all the way across Jump City. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his exhaustion. Robin looked up, glaring at Slade but too tired to feel any real anger whatsoever. It was only then that he realized that Slade had been there the entire time, watching him react to the emotions that coursed through his body. Robin blushed furiously; it was beyond humiliating. For a moment, Robin simply stared up at Slade, trying to force all the pain inside him onto the man so he could know or even feel . . . "How could you _do that to me_?" he whispered.

"Any emotion that is not temporarily suppressed could prove a distraction during a mission. Though it would be best to have such useless thoughts eliminated completely, alternative measures will be taken to deal with the ones which continue to remain."

Robin was too tired to put up a fight. He was too tired to even fully understand what Slade had just said. "It's . . . what did you say?" he asked.

"Purging your body of unessential impulses was necessary," Slade said.

Blinking, Robin pulled himself to his feet, staggering once as dizziness came and vanished.

So that's all it was to Slade. Unessential. Robin wanted to wipe his face, but decided against it. Instead, he looked away.

"We leave now," Slade said, turning and walking toward the door.

Despite his tiredness, a flash of panic lit inside Robin's stomach. "How did . . . I mean — why weren't we caught?"

Slade paused, then motioned to the door where four small gadgets clung to each corner. "These create an artificial sound barrier, making the room soundproof."

Slade moved forward again, but Robin, not even thinking, leapt forward and grabbed Slade by the arm. "W-we're still going to do this?"

Slade pulled out of Robin's grip as easily as if Robin were an infant. "Yes."

Robin swallowed, the panic inside him already strengthening. Why were they doing such a thing? Why was Slade forcing him to walk toward his own funeral? Why —

"What is inside the third room of the fourth hallway of the second level of Wayne Enterprises?" Slade asked suddenly.

Robin, feeling a bit lightheaded, looked up at Slade. What did this have to do with anything? "A . . . storage closet."

"And the eighth room of the second hallway of the seventh level?"

Robin blinked, thinking hard. What did this have to do with their break-in? "A control panel to — no — a weapons room. Slade, why are you—"

"The tenth room of the fifth hallway of the fifth level?"

Robin thought for a moment, feeling exasperated. "A room that has replacement security cameras and . . . extra laser guns for the guards. Slade, why—"

"All of your answers are incorrect," Slade said.

Robin frowned. Closing his eyes, Robin virtually went through the second, fifth, and seventh levels of Wayne Enterprises, mentally running down each hallway and corridor. "No, Slade," Robin said, pausing briefly and hoping he wouldn't be punished for defying the man, "I'm right."

But Slade seemed to be smiling. He nodded. "We will proceed."

Robin, swallowing again, clenched his fists and watched Slade take down his soundproofing gadgets. Slade glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Robin. Robin, inhaling, nodded as well.

There was no backing out now.

The two, re-cloaking themselves, exited the storage room and held to the wall as several guards walked past. Robin looked up and noticed the way the sensors were pointing. He watched Slade cross the hallway, avoiding each sensor and standing up once he made it to the other side. He nodded toward Robin.

Robin moved forward, seeing the red sensor lights swing around in a specific pattern as they tracked and identified anything that passed in front of them. Anything that the sensors didn't recognize would be destroyed instantly. Breathing in and seeing a pattern, Robin leapt into the path of one of the sensor lights as it swung upward, jumping diagonally as the first sensor swung down and the next swung up. He performed similar tactics for the rest of the sensors, then made it across the room and stood next to Slade. The pair crossed into the next room and Robin blinked, his breathing now shaky as he ground his teeth together. The sensors had been so easy. Soon they would be attempting to cross rooms that were impassable by anything living. Soon they might fall to their deaths or be brought out of the black level in coffins . . .

"How many sensors did you just pass?" Slade asked quietly as they inspected their next obstacle.

Robin, knowing that Slade wouldn't dare speak if there were a possibility of their being

caught, blinked in surprise. "Why does that—"

"Answer."

Robin mentally counted the number of flips and leaps he did, averaging two flips per sensor. "Twenty . . . two."

"Are you certain?"

Robin almost became angry. Here they were, in the _black level_ , and Slade was having him recount how many sensors he'd just passed? "No, twenty-three."

"Correct." Then Slade leaped down into the hallway ahead, not bothering to use the ladder on the side of the wall that all guards used. Robin followed, still mystified at why Slade asked such questions. Slade uncloaked since no guards were present, and Robin did the same. The pair stood up and Robin was about to take a step forward when Slade stopped him. Slade pointed toward small sensors lining the hallway, and Robin recognized that motion sensors were sweeping the hallway.


	51. Nearly Impossible

"How are we supposed to pass now?" Robin asked, knowing that the motion sensors weren't sensitive to noise. "The sensors will pick up any motion whether or not we're cloaked and—"

"Follow my lead," Slade said, his eye flicking from to one side of the hallway, then the other before walking forward.

Robin, a bit irritated, began to run, but Slade pulled him back into a walk. "Slade, why can't we—"

"Freeze."

Robin froze, as did Slade, and they remained like that for ten seconds before Slade relaxed and continued on. Robin swallowed, understanding. He was quite glad that he hadn't been running. But what if they were caught? What if they couldn't stop moving fast enough and —

"Robin, tell me: when should we stop moving?" Slade asked as they continued down the hall.

Robin blinked, looked from sensor to sensor, then saw one sensor swing down toward them soon after. "Stop!"

The pair froze, and Slade spoke once they were no longer in danger.

"You were half a second too early, Robin."

Robin ground his teeth. What was this, a game to Slade? Were they just walking down a hall? Was this simply training, or was it a suicide mission that was probably the hardest thing — "Stop!"

"Shouting is not necessary," Slade said.

Robin nodded, still focused on the sensors above their heads. He focused on the one to his left, knowing that it always activated before the right one —

"Freeze."

Robin hadn't been expecting the call, and he nearly lost his balance and moved when Slade ordered him to stop moving. Now standing on one leg, Robin held his breath to keep his body still, but the foot on the ground was beginning to cramp horribly.

Once Slade began moving, Robin exhaled and stretched out his foot to get rid of the cramp. They made it to the other side of the hall without being spotted by the sensors, and Robin paused for a moment before following Slade again. Before entering the next room, however, Slade used a gadget that allowed him one-way visible access into the room before entering so he knew what was next. When Robin got next to Slade and saw what was inside, he gasped. At least three hundred guards stood inside the next room, looking like bees in a beehive protecting something and not simply standing shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent anyone from passing by. Robin pulled back, already shaking his head. Couldn't they turn back? If either one of them even bumped into the practically thousands of guards stationed in the room, they would either get killed or Slade would . . .

"Forty-three seconds, was it?" Slade asked.

Robin looked at Slade, not understanding. "What?"

"Your training course," Slade said. "It took you forty-three seconds to complete."

Robin blinked, now realizing what the man was talking about. "Why are you bringing—"

"I doubt it would be possible for you to cross this room while simultaneously beating your previous time," Slade said with a small sneer.

Robin blinked again, then clenched his fists. "I can do it."

"Is that so?"  
Robin frowned and nodded. "I can."  
"On the contrary, Robin." Slade pulled out a small spray bottle, pressing down on the cap and releasing before turning to Robin, uncapping the bottle, and spraying a fine mist over his entire body.

"What was that for?" Robin asked.

"This device alters its own chemical substance to match whatever particles it takes in," Slade said. "It will change our scent to that of the black level's."

"You really think that the guards would be able to smell us?" Robin asked as Slade sprayed his own body with the device before pocketing it.

"Our cover will not be blown due to lack of preparation, Robin," Slade said.

Robin blinked, then blushed automatically. "I won't—"

"We will continue." Slade turned and entered the room before Robin, cloaking himself as he stepped inside.

Robin watched Slade cross the room, more determined than ever to prove to Slade that he could do this. His suit shocked him briefly, but he barely felt it as he cloaked himself as well and followed Slade. He dodged, ducked, and even leaped over several guards, inwardly keeping track of his time as he sped through the room. Suddenly, all the guards seemed to block his way forward, and Robin looked over his shoulder to see that four other guards were walking toward him, talking about something which his ears didn't hear. He was trapped.

Suddenly, Robin saw an opening. Twisting his body to the side, Robin leaped between two guards and barely made it past without touching either guard. He stood next to Slade and tried to keep his rapid breathing steady and silent, suddenly very thankful that his suit didn't have a cape.

If it didn't have Slade's insignia on the front, maybe he could learn to like it.

Was he going insane? Robin mentally beat himself, straining not to make a sound of pain as he and Slade left the room of guards behind them and walked forward. But so far, he and Slade were successful. So far, they hadn't been caught. But there was still more to do. More mistakes to make.

"It took you forty-two seconds," Slade said.

Robin swallowed and nodded, still panting and recovering from both his close call and the suit's reaction. He'd gotten through the room one second faster than his time on the training course. If he'd taken any longer, he'd probably be dead.

Next was a hallway. Robin instantly saw sound detectors on the walls, and he silently glanced over at Slade. If they even breathed too loudly, the sensors would go off and they would be killed. Robin squinted through the hallway and saw that there were moving laser sensors sweeping the room as well, and he knew that a single a single touch from any of the lasers, probably able to cut right through his protective suit anyway, would bring pain, sound, and death.

Slade de-cloaked and moved silently forward, dodging the sensors while never making a sound. Robin, able to see Slade's movements, slightly envied how easy he made it look. Things were getting more difficult in the black level, and soon they would get much worse. But would they be able to make it? What if they couldn't? What if they failed here and now and —

Motion on the other side alerted Robin to the fact that Slade had crossed successfully. The man motioned for him to follow, and Robin breathed in, un-cloaked himself, and began his crossing. The first dodge was easy, but then he remembered that being silent was more important than being successful at avoiding the lasers. He saw the sound sensor twitch ever so slightly, and a feeling of dread steeled his nerves and reminded him to be quiet.

Dodge, pause, inspect the sound sensors. Leap, inspect the sensors. Duck, do the same. Robin gave all his concentration to the task he was doing, but it was still difficult. Right at the end, five sensors swept the hallway, and it always seemed that one was blocking Robin's way to safety. Timing his leap, Robin twisted his body midair to prevent being struck by any lasers. He rolled to his feet silently and stood in front of Slade. Slade however, looked toward the entrance behind Robin and suddenly grabbed Robin by the arm, pulling him to the side of the hallway. Robin, his face against the wall, felt, rather than saw, three lasers sweeping up the center of the room. Apparently this was an extra measure of security that occurred every few minutes or so. Silently letting out a breath, Robin nodded to Slade and the two continued on.


	52. The Maze

Another hallway stood before them, and Robin wondered if they would ever get to the maze and legendary "testing" rooms that the black level was infamous for. Robin, inspecting the walls carefully, saw nothing. He was about to walk forward when Slade stopped him.

"This hallway contains heat sensors," Slade said, pointing to Robin what he'd missed on his first look down the hall.

Robin faltered. "Then we have to find another way. If it tracks our body heat, no amount of cloaking will—"

"We will proceed," Slade said.

Robin looked at Slade, surprised. Did the man know something he didn't? "How?"

"We will lower our core temperatures. Prepare yourself," Slade said, pressing a button on the waist of his suit and motioning for Robin to do the same.

At first, all the suit did was tingle and Robin was afraid that the technology was going to shock him again. Slowly, Robin began to feel cold. It wasn't that bad, and Robin didn't even feel like shivering. Suddenly, however, the temperature in his suit dropped drastically, and Robin heaved as his body reacted to the shock. The uniform was so frigid now that it felt as though the fabric were burning him, and Robin put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from crying out.

Finally, the temperature stopped its descent. Robin, unable to feel anything anymore, got to his feet and tested taking a step forward. He could still move at least, even if he couldn't feel.

"Proceed," Slade said, stepping into the hallway.

Robin watched the heat sensors on either side of the wall, but the sensors didn't move an inch as they walked by. Apparently, their core temperature had dropped enough to prevent the sensors from reacting. Robin's body dragged and his thoughts clouded over as they made it to the end of the hallway, and Robin slumped in the doorway of the next room, breathing slowly.

"Keep moving," Slade said, attempting to pull Robin to his feet.

Robin groaned and slipped his arm out of Slade's grasp. "Rest," he muttered. "Sleep."

Slade reached down, and Robin was aware that Slade had pressed the temperature control button on his waist. His suit was now extremely cold. It felt nice. Or at least, it did. Now the temperature was slowly rising, and Robin didn't like it. He tugged on the gloves of his suit then remembered they wouldn't come off. Maybe he could get used to the temperature change.

Abruptly, the temperature in Robin's suit shot up, and he felt Slade's hand over his mouth an instant before he began screaming in pain. His body felt as though it were on fire, and this fire was ten times worse than the pain he'd felt before. The agony was so intense that Robin wondered if he would pass out. Slowly, so slowly, the pain subsided. Slade took his hand away from Robin's mouth, and Robin sat up and took several shaky breaths.

"You could've made it — a little bit worse," Robin panted as he got to his feet, finally able to feel his fingers and toes again.

Slade looked at Robin a second longer before continuing on. Robin followed. They crossed through two more open doorways, then faced a door off to their left. Inspecting what was inside, Slade turned to Robin and seemed to smile. "The maze," Slade said, pushing the door open.

Robin felt as though he were coming down from an adrenaline rush. He staggered forward, barely able to stay upright as they entered into one of the most deadly puzzles of the black level. Once they entered, Robin saw what looked like a hedge extending into the distance, with openings and places where the path branched off every ten feet or so. Leaning down, Robin felt the walls and floor of the hedge with his fingertips, realizing that it was just cloaked steel. It was an illusion. Robin looked upward and saw no forms of orientation that he and Slade could use to track their progress. The hedge extended several feet up, and above their heads was a pure blue sky with no clouds.

Robin looked back at the entrance and considered going back. They couldn't make it through. Thousands of villains much better and smarter had tried but hadn't made it. Why would their passage be any different? The maze would either drive them mad or kill them due to its many hidden traps. There was also a story of, Robin grew sick at the thought, two villains making it all the way here only to have thirst drive them to . . . Robin closed his eyes, his breathing growing more and more unsteady the longer he thought about it. Would this be what happened to them? Would they really do such a thing to each other?

"Which path should we take?" Slade asked.

Robin opened his eyes. "W-what?" he asked.

"You studied the blueprints, did you not?"

Robin blinked. He'd studied the blueprints . . . well, not really. All he could remember was that the first part of the maze branched off into twenty different dead ends which had at least one trap down each corridor. Thinking harder, Robin tried to remember which path led onward, but he couldn't. Robin looked at Slade and shrugged.

"What is down the first corridor on our left?"

"A dead end," Robin said instantly. That, he remembered. "And robot that activates when you get to the end of the wall, turn around, and try to go the other way."

"The second on our left?"

Robin frowned. Wasn't it important to know _where_ to go, not know where _not_ to go? At this rate, they wouldn't cross the maze for a year yet. "An opening that branches off and leads to two dead ends along with a motion sensor that triggers the walls to close."

"The third on our right?"

Robin had to fight not to roll his eyes. Why was Slade asking him these questions? "An

invisible wall that's really a dead end and a floor that crumbles when you put your weight on it, giving way to an abyss."

Slade nodded and walked forward, taking his second right. Robin followed, annoyed that Slade continued to ask him pointless questions. Robin, however, didn't question the man's motives since he knew that concentration on the task at hand was more important than questioning someone who only spoke in —

"Trap," Slade said, motioning to the camouflaged light beams that stretched all the way to the ground save for about a foot of space between the last laser and the ground. Slade got down, and Robin did the same, and the pair army crawled to avoid the first section of sensors then jumped and twisted to avoid the rest.

"Which way?" Robin asked once they'd gotten past the first trap.

Slade looked left down a corridor, then right. Then he looked straight ahead. He nodded. "Straight."

Robin blinked. "But Slade, there's a wall there."

"Did you study the blueprints at all?"

Robin blushed, but he still didn't know if the maze was getting to Slade already. They were standing _in front of a wall_. Suddenly, Slade ran right at the wall and leaped, streamlining his body as though he were about to dive into water. Robin waited for the sickening collision, but he gasped when Slade's body went right through the center of the wall. "Slade, how did you—"

"Follow."

"How?" he asked, pounding on the wall itself and feeling the solid metal under his hands.

"Focus."

Robin, blinking hard, had to stand there for thirty seconds before he finally located a slight change in the wall's structure right near the center. He gasped; so it was a hologram! Part of the wall was fake! Taking a running start, Robin leapt as Slade had, and his body miraculously phased through the solid wall in front of him and out the other side. Robin rolled to his feet, stood next to Slade, and nodded. The two continued on, taking three more corridors without incident.


	53. Staying Alert

Robin looked around for sensors, seeing none nearby. Maybe now they could relax —

Slade abruptly put out a hand to stop Robin. Robin was about to ask why they'd stopped, but

Slade seemed to be looking intently at the ground in front of him with such concentration that Robin knew better.

"Mines," Slade said.

Robin gasped, inspecting the ground in front of them and seeing that the floor looked different here, half a shade lighter than the ground behind them. He watched Slade leap onto the ground diagonally, avoiding all the mines before crossing to the other side and standing up.

"The floor is slick," Slade said.

Robin nodded and carefully took his first leap, almost sliding off his destined spot despite his wariness and Slade's warning. Heart pounding in his throat, Robin took another leap, and the same thing happened. How had Slade made it look so easy? What if Robin slipped and triggered a mine? What —

Robin's feet landed, and in that instant, Robin slid too far forward. His blood chilled colder than the suit's temperature drop as he heard a click underneath his feet. He looked over at Slade, terrified. "Slade," he whispered, "I don't—"

"You will not die," Slade said, already taking something out of his utility belt and tossing it to Robin. "Take out your bow staff and follow my instructions."

Robin, confused and glancing at the small bomb in his hand, nodded.

"I have given you an explosive disabler," Slade explained. "If you place it onto the mine you are now standing on, it will disable the mine."

"Then I can just—"

"However, it releases a compound similar to my frequency bombs, and if you are standing on the bomb when the disabler activates, you will be killed."  
Robin swallowed, not understanding. How would he make it out of here alive? If he moved, the mine would go off. If he stayed, the disabler would tear him apart.

"Your bow staff will take your place," Slade said. "Activate its gravitational field then cross to my side. I will activate the disabler and disable all the bombs, and your bow staff will return to your hands. Is that understood?"

Robin's head swum at all this information, but he nodded nonetheless. He thought he understood . . . Taking the disabler and glancing at Slade to make sure he was doing all this correctly, Robin placed the bomb under his feet. He activated his staff and laid it down underneath himself as well. Once he heard the sudden increase of gravity of his bow staff, Robin looked at the mine field and carefully planned out his path.

"You only have ten seconds before the gravitational field of your staff will disappear and the mine will explode," Slade said. "Run."

Robin blinked, nearly beating himself up for forgetting such critical information. Now panicked, Robin crossed the rest of the mine maze at light speed, somehow able to avoid all other mines and join Slade on the other side. He turned, saw his bow staff begin to lift off the mine as it returned to his hand, then noticed Slade's pressing a trigger he held. The disabler deactivated the mine and the surrounding area now looked noticeably weaker, as though the next person to pass would simply fall through the floor and never stop falling.

"Continue."

Robin walked after Slade, still panting and thankful that he hadn't just gotten himself killed. The two continued onward, and Robin yawned slightly as they made their way further into the maze. What time was it? They'd left at midnight, so it was probably about one or two hundred hours by now, and —

"Take this," Slade said.

Robin blinked, looking at the dark green pill Slade held out to him. "What is it?"

Slade said nothing, and Robin begrudgingly took the pill and ate it. Almost instantly, Robin felt his tiredness vanish and be replaced by a level of concentration he hadn't known was possible to obtain. He nodded to Slade, and they kept walking.

"You know, this is kind of easy," Robin said some ten minutes later after no traps. "Why aren't there a hundred robots trying to stop us?"

"Knowing the correct route is essential to our success," Slade said. "Traps are only for those who become both lost and stuck in the maze, eventually being killed by their own stupidity."

Robin thought back to the blueprints of the maze that Slade had shown him right before they

left the compound. He opened his mouth to ask, then closed it, thinking better.

Slade walked down another passage, and when Robin looked left and right and saw that they were both dead ends, he turned around. Slade put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"We've got to go back," Robin said. "It—"

But Slade, taking out a small gadget, placed it on the wall next to him and, placing his ear on the gadget itself, gently rapped against the metal with his knuckles. He did the same to the other side, then nodded. "On the contrary. That direction is, indeed, real, but the other direction is an

illusion."

"How did you know that?" Robin asked, confused.

Slade pulled the gadget he'd used off the wall, then indicated to its existence. "This increases the frequency of one's hearing. Walls can trick the eyes but not the ears."

Robin blinked, slightly awestruck by Slade's prowess. The pair traveled down the corridor with the fake wall at the end, and Robin, staring at the wall with all his might, would never have been able to figure out that it was solid unless Slade had directly told him so. Even when Slade walked right into the wall, Robin still expected Slade to be unable to continue. Only after

Slade's body phased through the hologram did Robin blink and follow him.

Now on the other side of the wall, Robin looked up at the blue sky above and almost laughed. Here it was, two hundred or so hours, and the sky above them showed midday. Why didn't the sky show a passage of time?

"Stars, unlike a clear sky, could be used as locaters," Slade said, and Robin jumped a bit at the man's unnerving ability to seemingly read his mind.

"But someone could just mark where he's been already," Robin said. "If a person brought enough food and water, they could get out by keeping track of where they'd already gone."

"Test your theory," Slade said.

Robin, thinking Slade was joking, looked up and was surprised to see that the man was serious. Taking out a small electrical disk of Slade's, Robin attached it to the side of the hedge and stood back. Half a minute he stood there watching it, and Robin was about to face Slade to prove his point when suddenly the hedge drew the weapon inside itself and Robin's marker disappeared. "Hey!" Robin shouted. Reacting quickly, he pressed his hands against where the weapon had been but felt nothing.

"The black level would not allow marking," Slade said.

"Then why don't we just get on top of the hedge? It'd be quicker that way," Robin said.

"Throw a weapon and test such a theory before you trust your body to it," Slade said.

Robin, shrugging, took one of Slade's batarangs and tossed it into the air. It reached just to the top of the hedge when it suddenly disintegrated from an invisible electrical field. Robin blinked, then stared. He glanced at Slade and swallowed, glad he hadn't climbed up to try it himself.

"Follow."


	54. Making a Choice

They continued on, coming to another dead end. Robin looked up at Slade expectantly, knowing that the man wouldn't lead them to a true dead end since lethal traps lay at all dead ends inside the maze. Slade placed his hands on the hedge in front of him, pressing into the wall and testing it. Finally, he put both hands on the right side of the hedge and pulled, and the wall of the hedge, actually a door, slid open and he and Robin slipped through. Slade closed the door behind him, and Robin was a bit amazed at how far the two of them had gotten. They were still alive. They hadn't died. Maybe they really could do this.

"Cloak yourself."

The instant Slade disappeared, Robin panicked and did the same, and barely had Robin disappeared before six guards came from a hallway off to their left, looking down where he and Slade stood before continuing straight. Robin, dodging silently and turning left, almost cried out in surprise when Slade pulled him in the direction the guards were going instead.

"Why are we following them?" Robin whispered, barely able to hear himself speaking as they followed the guards several hundred feet behind. "Wherever they came from is where we want to go."

"One of the guards had an exit key in his hand," Slade muttered. "It is late; they are switching shifts with others."

Robin blinked, now quite jealous. How did Slade know all this? "But if guards are all over, then people can just follow them and get out of the maze that way."

"Only near the maze's exit are guards stationed," Slade said quietly. "We have made it quite far, and those of the black level do not believe it possible for criminals to be here."

"Why?" Robin asked.

"No one has gotten this far in the past fifty years," Slade said. "The people of Wayne Enterprises believe their black level to be impenetrable, but such a legend will be broken tonight."

Robin nodded, and the pair followed the guards all the way to the exit door of the maze. Pure joy flooded Robin as he saw the exit door open and several guards walk out. The guards passed them by without noticing them, and Robin, hearing the guards' steps fade away and un-cloaking, was about to rush over to the door and open the latch when Slade stopped him.

"If that handle is touched by someone the computer doesn't recognize, the alarms will go off," Slade said, stopping Robin in his tracks.

"We're stuck?" Robin asked.

"Patience, Robin," Slade said. "There are other ways of accessing a door."

"Other than the handle?" Robin said, folding his arms.

"You have much to learn," Slade said, chuckling. He took out a small laser and began to cut a hole in the bottom half of the door. Robin watched for a few moments before speaking up.

"Why don't you just cut through the lock?" he asked. "That would be quicker."

"Alarms would be triggered."

After Robin thought it over, he blushed a bit, then shook himself off and began listening for any guards or robots nearing them.

"It's done," Slade said, pulling away the steel and revealing a hole he'd made in the metal. Slade crawled through and Robin followed. As soon as they were out of the maze, Robin stood up, sighed, then kept watch and listened for guards as Slade reattached the metal to the door. Once Slade was done, he too stood up, and Robin looked around.

All that was in front of them was three doors, one on the right, one on the left, and one

straight ahead. There was also a button off to Robin's left. "What's that?"

"A transport system for guards to instantly be both brought here and taken away by changing their molecules into light," Slade said.

"Why didn't we take that route to get here?" Robin asked.

"The transporter reads each person's DNA, Robin. We would be killed."

Robin swallowed, then looked back at the doors in front of him, unsure which one they should take. Robin looked up at Slade, but Slade seemed to be giving Robin the choice.

"My blueprints end here," Slade said. "These are the testing rooms. Choose one."

Robin's breath caught. So the time was here. The most infamous and dangerous part of the black level was staring them in the face. Now it was Robin's turn to choose, just as it was when Slade was making him steal. Robin looked at the three doors in front of him, then shook his head. "S-Slade, I —"

"The choice is yours," Slade said again.

Robin's chest hurt. What if he chose wrong? What if they fell into a pit of lava and died instantly? Why did he have to be the one to make this choice? Swallowing once, Robin reached a shaky hand out to the door in front of him, pressing down on the latch and walking inside. The door shut behind himself and Slade instantly. Bright lights flickered on above them, and Robin found himself inside a completely square, completely blank room. On the other side of the room Robin could see a door, and he was just about to run toward it to escape when he heard the voice of a computer above him.

 _Activate_.

Instantly, the room seemed to change. Robin's vision grew hazy for a moment, then he saw fog rolling toward him, filling the entire room so that he could barely see Slade standing next to him.

Robin squinted through the fog, turning to Slade. "I thought my mask was supposed to see through elements."

"This is not real fog," Slade said. "It is an illusion. Do not separate."

"But the wall should be right over—" Robin jolted to a stop as Slade grabbed his arm, preventing him from running over to check.

"Observe," Slade said, taking out a batarang of his own. He threw the weapon into the fog, and Robin watched it disappear instantly. He waited. The weapon didn't return to Slade, and he didn't hear it hit the wall, either. "If you were to run into that fog, you would never be able to locate me again. Even if you were able to see me in the distance, the illusion would keep you stuck, running as though on a treadmill and never going anywhere."

"How are we going to get out?" Robin asked, glancing all around and becoming even more fearful when he realized that he could no longer see the door they'd entered by.


	55. Staying Calm

"How does one escape an illusion?" Slade asked.

Robin, though annoyed that Slade had answered his question with a question of his own, thought about it for a moment. "By . . . taking down the person who created the illusion?"

Slade was shaking his head. "No, Robin. By seeing past it."

"I can't _see_ anything," Robin said, his voice steadily growing louder. "How are—"

"Patience, Robin," Slade said.

Robin stood in silence as he watched Slade look in all four directions. The man seemed to be calculating something, then he walked in a circle around Robin before taking out his bow staff and sticking it into the ground.

"This room has an area of exactly nine hundred feet, thirty feet on each side," Slade said.

"Our strides are exactly thirty inches and twenty-four inches, respectively. My weapon curved

away at a twenty-nine degree angle."

"Now that we've practiced math," Robin said, swallowing and trying not to sound exasperated, "how do we get out?"

Slade glanced at his bow staff, then nodded and began walking. "Follow."

"But what if we keep walking forever?" Robin asked, trotting after Slade.

"Under normal circumstances, we would," Slade said.

"Then how — "

"Stop," Slade commanded.

Robin stopped moving.

"Extend your hand."  
Robin did so, feeling slightly foolish. "Slade, what does this—"

Slade abruptly grabbed Robin's wrist and moved his hand first higher, then to the left. "Close your hand."

Robin, stopping just short of rolling his eyes, lazily made a fist.

"Withdraw your hand."  
Robin pulled his hand back toward him with a sigh. "Slade, I don't see what—" Robin's mouth fell open in disbelief, and he choked once as he stared. But it was in his hand, plain as day. He was holding Slade's weapon! Robin looked up at Slade, still in shock. So great was his shock that he couldn't even say anything. All he could do was sputter in amazement.

"The size of the room is relevant to the positioning of things inside it," Slade said, answering Robin's unvoiced question. "The real world is not part of this mental illusion, and this fact holds true for anything that remains inside it, including weapons, people, and doors."

"But . . . how?" Robin asked, still struggling to understand Slade's logic.

Slade turned around, and Robin followed close behind as the two walked back to where they apparently had stood before they'd found Slade's weapon. To Robin, everything looked the same. "Do you see anything?" Slade asked.

Robin looked toward where Slade was pointing, and he even reached out his hand and tried to feel for where he thought Slade had left his bow staff. Nothing.

Slade reached down and grabbed the air, then pulled up. Robin nearly fainted from amazement when he saw Slade's holding his bow staff a second later, swiftly pocketing it. How was it even possible?

"We will exit the room," Slade said, leading the way through the fog toward where Robin hoped was their exit.

Robin blinked hard, still trying to understand. If the illusion was all in their mind and the things they placed on the ground or elsewhere were still literally there, why couldn't Robin feel Slade's batarang or bow staff when his hand passed through it? Was his mind even more powerful than the actual physical plain?

Slade reached out then, pressing on an invisible handle and ending the illusion entirely. Robin glanced over his shoulder at the room, then shuddered and flashed a grin at Slade. "We made it through."

Slade said nothing, and they proceeded into a room that looked identical to the first. Barely had they stepped into the room before another computer sounded above them.

 _Cross this room within five minutes_. _Begin_.

Robin glanced at Slade with a frown, then was surprised when something began to press against him, pushing him backwards. He fought it for a moment, even kicked at this invisible barrier, injuring his toe, before realizing that if they didn't find a way around soon enough, the barrier would crush them against the opposing wall.

Slade, however, was already off and running, pulling out all the batarangs he possessed and throwing them at different locations on the barrier that pushed them backward. A single batarang made it through, and Slade leapt through this fault and continued on. Robin leapt after Slade, seeing Slade's weapons activate and return to the man automatically.

Robin began running forward, knowing the time was ticking down. Hardly had he taken a step before he smacked into another barrier, however, and Robin pounded on the barrier briefly before realizing that it would not give. Now it was pushing him back even faster. Robin, mimicking Slade, took out several of Slade's batarangs and threw them at the wall, not seeing any fault and feeling thankful when his weapons returned to his hands so he could throw them again. This time it was Robin who saw the fault in the center of the wall, and he leapt through and saw Slade follow right behind him. Now the wall was pushing back even faster than before, and Robin briefly glanced up at the clock to see that only two minutes remained. What if they didn't make it in time; would they perish? Would the wall crush them and —  
"Here," Slade said.

Robin followed and leaped over the wall with Slade, barely making it through before the barrier pressed into the wall behind them. They weren't making any headway. Three minutes had passed, and still they were practically right where they started. The door on the opposite side of the room looked to be a light year away. Redoubling his efforts, Robin felt adrenaline take over as he sped back and forth across the next barrier, feeling with one hand while his other threw his weapons, managing to find the fault in half the time. He swung threw and saw Slade do the same. They were now halfway to the door.

However, on the next barrier both he and Slade inspected it to find no fault anywhere. Robin,

searched again, more frantic this time. "I can't find a fault!" he called over to Slade.

"Keep looking."

Robin glanced up at the clock and nearly choked when he saw that they only had a minute left. "What if we get crushed?"

"Focus."

What a statement. It was like telling a bird not to fly. "How?"

"Know that you will die if you don't."

Blinking hard, Robin made a move to kick the barrier and was astonished when his foot went through. "It's at the bottom!" he shouted, army crawling through the hole and getting up.

They were close now. Just one or two barriers more, and they'd be there. But there were only thirty seconds left. Robin glanced over his shoulder at Slade and was confused when he saw that the man still stood on the other side of the fault. "Come on, we're almost there."


	56. Not Afraid of the Dark

Slade, hands behind his back, shook his head. "The fault is too small."

Robin blinked, and it seemed as though his mind took twice as long to understand Slade's words as it should've. "What? You mean . . . you can't get through?" he whispered.

"Correct."

Robin vaguely remembered that he'd barely been able to squeeze through the fault himself, but he'd been so focused on the matter at hand that he hadn't even considered . . . "What should I do?"

"Continue."

"I — can't—"

"You will."  
Robin glanced at the clock. Twenty seconds left. Facing the barrier that now looked as big as a mountain, Robin breathed in and pulled out every single batarang he possessed, throwing them at the barrier and waiting for a fault. Nothing. The barrier was completely solid.

"Use this," Slade said, his calmness strangely soothing. "It has a two-foot radius."

Robin turned and saw Slade pass him three frequency bombs through the fault. He grabbed one then threw it against the wall in front of him, pocketing the other two.

"Activate your shield," Slade said. "Press the button above my insignia."

Robin, looking down, saw a small button above Slade's insignia. He pressed it and felt a

strange sensation cover his entire body, as though he were suddenly in an airplane and the pressure had changed. "The shield's on."

Slade pressed a trigger on his wrist. "Go."

Robin raced toward the barrier, feeling more lightheaded the closer he got to the barrier which was now shimmering. He leapt, seemed to phase through the wall, then landed on his feet, not stopping before throwing another frequency bomb on the barrier in front of him. Knowing that Slade would have it already activated, Robin didn't even wait for the man's orders before he jumped through. Robin could hear the computer counting down the last few seconds. He leapt forward and felt his fingers brush against the door handle, but another barrier was already pushing him back . . .

Instantly, the simulation faded. The power shut down, and Robin fell to the floor, gasping for air as he recovered from his adrenaline rush. He'd never, in all his years as a Titan, done something as difficult or as deadly as this. Slade walked over to Robin.

"Proceed," Slade said, opening the door and walking into the next room.

Robin struggled to his feet and followed Slade, only wishing he'd gotten more time to recover. The next room they were inside was identical to the first two, and Robin was worried

that it would be another test similar to the last one. He didn't know if he'd be able to take it.

 _You have one minute to answer this question_. _Your time starts now_.

Robin sighed in relief and closed his eyes, waiting for Slade to answer the question and taking this opportunity to rest longer. He was surprised, however, when Slade suddenly grabbed him and pulled him forward, indicating that he should read the question on the holographic screen that stood in front of them.

Robin frowned. What did he know that Slade did not? What could he possibly —

 _What is the true identity of Batman?_

Robin gasped, looking first at Slade then back at the question. If he thought about it, it made sense. Wayne Enterprises was run by . . . Bruce Wayne. But should he really give away Batman's identity to an enemy? What would Bruce say?

But, then again, what other choice did he have? If he didn't do this, he would be killed. Was it worth it; keeping his former mentor's identity a secret?

Robin looked over at Slade, shrugging. Maybe he could fake it. "Do you know?"

"Answer the question."

Well, that wouldn't work; Slade already knew that he knew the answer. Grinding his teeth together, Robin glanced at Slade again before looking back at the question. He didn't want to die.

"It's . . . Bruce Wayne," Robin admitted, hanging his head.

 _Correct_.

The two walked toward the door to the next challenge, and Robin kept his eyes on the ground. How could he have done such a thing? To give away his mentor's identity . . . well, it was only one step below giving away his _own_ identity, and Slade had already done that for him —

The suit shocked Robin again, and he collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. Why was he here? Why was he in this position? Why had he trusted Slade for even a second and believed the man to be helping him? Robin wanted to run and to leave, but he knew he couldn't. Whether or not he wanted to, he would obey Slade. Slade demanded it.

Slade opened the door and paused momentarily. He glanced back at Robin. "I assumed correctly."

Robin blinked, frowned, then followed Slade, pushing thoughts of everything else except their mission to the back of his head. He couldn't deal with the pain now, either physical or mental. He needed to do this.

Another room, identical to the first three, stood before them. Robin looked around as the door closed, and almost instantly, the room began to darken. Within seconds, the entire room was plunged into darkness. Robin squinted through the darkness, but he was unable to see anything.

"Why won't my mask work?" Robin asked.

"Such technology will not work in the black level," Slade said. "This room is composed of elements similar to my night bombs. All light is destroyed."

Robin took a step forward, putting his arms in front of him. "How are we going to find our way across?"

"By locating the door," Slade said.

Robin rolled his eyes, glad Slade couldn't see him. " _How_ are we going to find the door? I can't see anything." Robin stood in the dark for a few moments before taking another careful step forward. Then abandoning his caution, Robin began running forward.

"If you touch anything other than the door out of this room, the alarms will go off."

Robin stopped, then backed up to what he hoped was his previous location. "Then how are we supposed to get out?" Silence. Robin swallowed. "Slade?" No answer. "Slade?"

"Does the darkness frighten you?"

Even through such conditions, Robin knew that Slade could see his blush. No, he wasn't afraid of the dark! Well, he had been about six months previously when the rest of the Titans believed he was going crazy because he kept seeing . . . but that was then. Now, he was fine. He wasn't scared. Really.

Robin reached out his hands again and felt his fingers touch something hard. He inhaled sharply, fearful that he'd somehow touched the walls of the room they were in. How was that possible, though? He hadn't moved from his spot in quite a while. "Slade? Is that you?"

"If it is not, your situation is now lethal."

Robin blushed again, moving one of his hands upward slightly and feeling cool steel underneath his fingertips. Well, that was obvious. Who else would it be? Batman? "How are we going to get out of here without touching the walls?"

"Remain."


	57. Destination Found

Slade left him, and Robin stood in the darkness, unsure what to do. He wasn't supposed to move, but could he talk? Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Hey, Slade?" No answer. But Robin knew that Slade had to be listening. "If I use a flash bomb, do you think that'll light up the room and help?" Still no answer. To Robin, however, no answer was just as good as a positive one. He'd take it. Pulling out a flash bomb, Robin threw it to the ground and stood there in anticipation, waiting for the entire room to be engulfed in light. All that happened, however, was the bomb's giving off a feeble glow that extended about an inch in each direction before the light went out. It was as though the room itself were destroying the light particles of the . . . wait. Oh. Right.

Robin clapped a hand over his forehead, furious with his own stupidity. He wondered if Slade was laughing. "If we touch the walls, we're done for," Robin called out, trying to regain some of the dignity he'd already lost. "How are we ever going to be able to find the door if we can't see and don't know where it is?"

As if on cue, the lights in the room suddenly blazed. Robin covered his eyes at the change, panic flooding his system as he thought that they had triggered an alarm. Seconds went by. Robin opened his eyes and blinked as he adjusted to the light. He wasn't dead. Looking around, Robin couldn't help gasping from amazement when he saw that Slade was standing at the other end of the room with his hand on the door handle. "How'd you do that?!" he asked, his mouth open.

"Your location assisted my orientation."

Robin blinked. "I was just standing here."

"Being quite conversational."

Robin blinked again, blushed, then pursed his lips and clenched his fists as though he were about to start pouting. "Well . . . I helped!" Robin glared over at Slade, but Slade merely chuckled and opened the door to their next challenge. Robin, begrudgingly, followed.

Now they were in a small room, and ahead of them stood a single door. Robin looked up at Slade and saw that the man's eye was glowing.

"We have reached the black level's greatest secret," Slade said.

Robin blinked, looking from the door ahead to Slade. They'd made it to the weapons room alive? "Really?"

Slade walked forward with intention. "Come."

Robin followed Slade, and together they walked through the door into the black level's weapons room. The door shut after them, and Robin looked around in awe.

Hundreds of weapons lined the walls, each weapon with a different deadly design and use. Robin saw a small laser gun with the ability to harness the sun's massive energy and take down an entire continent in one blast, a bomb that could eradicate an entire ocean of water in a single minute, as well as a more powerful version of Slade's own frequency bomb, capable of wiping out an area ten times the size of Jump City.

It was a villain's greatest dream, and there Slade stood in the center of it all.

Robin, swallowing nervously as he realized how much of a horrible idea it was to have Slade be here, watched the man peruse the room casually before stopping at a single weapon. But there was nothing he could do about it.

"What are we stealing?" Robin asked.

"This," Slade said, pointing to a weapon that floated in a blue beam of light.

"What is it?" Robin asked. He'd never seen anything like it; it looked like a simple band that went around the wrist.

"A teleportation device, capable of carrying its user halfway across the world."

Slade said the words delicately, almost affectionately, and Robin knew that with such a weapon, Slade would be unstoppable. There wasn't anything he could do, though. If merely a thought of disobedience brought pain, then an act would . . .

Robin knew what he was, knew who he was. Slade had beaten the fact into him. Sighing, Robin closed his eyes and waited for Slade to take the weapon, and he put an arm out and rested it on the wall beside him for support. Suddenly, a panel underneath his hand gave way and clicked.

 _No_.


	58. Caught

Robin barely saw Slade turn before every wall, every square space in the room, opened up to reveal various weapons that immediately concentrated onto them and began attacking. He saw Slade hold up a frequency bomb and throw it against the wall, and Robin barely had time to turn on his shield before Slade activated the bomb. The wall that the frequency bomb was against seemed to buckle and start to melt, and Slade instantly jumped through the hole it'd made. Robin, dodging several rockets, followed. He rolled to his feet and barely had time to realize that they were in a halfway safe location before Slade pushed him against a wall and closed a hand over his throat.

"What did you do?" Slade hissed.

Robin's hands went to Slade's arm, but he couldn't dislodge the grip. "I . . . sorry," he choked. "Didn't . . . know that . . ."

"Was it intentional?" Slade asked, forcing Robin's head up so that their eyes would meet.

Robin looked at Slade. The grip was getting tighter, and Robin wondering if the man was going to kill him here and now regardless of his answer. "N-no."

For a moment, or maybe a minute, Slade looked at Robin. Then, just as Robin was starting to feel lightheaded, Slade released him and Robin crumbled to the floor, coughing violently. Barely had Robin begun to recover before three robots stepped into view and located them, locking onto their signals instantly.

Slade was moving long before Robin thought to dodge. Scrambling to his feet, Robin leapt into the air, avoiding more lethal devices and hits that day than he'd ever done in his entire life combined. When he stopped, a security camera seemed to materialize out of nowhere and track him. Razor blades, lasers, electricity, fire, water, ice, rockets, bombs, sonic cannons —they all shot at him. When the devices learned that his suit deflected certain attacks, those attacks were concentrated on his face, striking him every so often and giving the robots a chance to lock onto his signal.

Robin knew that Slade was nearby, but he didn't dare look to see how the man was doing. He was certain Slade was fine; it was _himself_ he was worried about. That, and dodging several hundred attacks at once took all his concentration. Glancing ahead, Robin saw half a fleet of robots assembling to take him and Slade down. Standing in an impassible line that took up the entire hallway both ahead of Robin and behind him, they all leveled their guns at him and were about to fire when Robin felt Slade grab him from behind by the suit's collar, activate a frequency bomb off to his left, and drag Robin into the hole the bomb had created just as the robots fired.

Robin was falling now, and he was vaguely aware that Slade had activated the jets on the bottom of his shoes and Robin quickly did the same, seeing numerous spike pits below that made him immensely glad that his suit had flying capabilities. They flew above the spike pits, dodging the robots that sensed their presence, detached from the walls overhead, and sped after them with instinct to kill. Robin looked over his shoulder, throwing numerous weapons at the robots and seeing that they kept dodging them all.

One of the robots flew toward Robin, attaching itself to his leg. Robin could see that the robot was preparing to either bite or shoot him, but the angle was bad and he couldn't reach the robot to dislodge it. He saw Slade toss a red capsule into the darkness below, and he barely had time to place ear protection into his ear before he felt the pressure of the ear-piercing screech hit him like a blast of air. Instantly, the robot on his leg dislodged and seemed to waver in pain, and Robin glanced ahead and nodded to Slade, glad for the man's sonic screamers.

Up ahead Robin saw a wall, and he was about to pull up when he saw Slade throw and activate another frequency bomb. They flew through the wall, and Robin was quite thankful that Slade had taken several extras with him when they'd left a few hours earlier. Barely had they arrived in a hallway on the other side before Slade began throwing normal bombs ahead along with a single flame bomb, setting several robots aflame and destroying one or two security systems that stood to take them down. The pair, not even having to communicate anymore, simply flew straight through the flaming explosion, Robin's covering his face for good measure.

However, just as they were exiting the explosion, Robin felt a laser hit the jet in his boot, and he suddenly spiraled out of control and hit the opposing wall, turning off the other jet for good measure since he couldn't fly accurately with only one working. He saw Slade loop back around on his own jets, and Robin reached out his hand and felt Slade grab it, pulling him forward as they raced toward the elevator they'd originally entered by. Robin, throwing every remaining weapon he had, managed to disable half the security systems that shot at them while Slade dodged the rest. Finally, they were at the elevator, but the door was closed. Knowing what to do, Robin tossed the last frequency bomb he possessed at the elevator door, and Slade activated the bomb. They phased through, then swung upward, and Robin, reaching into the side of Slade's utility belt, withdrew two more frequency bombs as they approached the bottom of the elevator.

Knowing he'd have to time it perfectly, Robin threw the first bomb. It attached to the bottom of the elevator and Slade activated it. Barely had they phased through the bottom of the elevator before Robin threw the second bomb, silently thankful that there were no guards in the elevator.

As they phased through a second time, Robin saw several robots flying above them, and Slade swerved and used another frequency bomb to get away before the robots had a chance to attack. They phased through a side wall, then Slade briefly pressed his ankles together and shut off the jets on his boots. He let go of Robin, and the two rolled to their feet and stood in front of a massive web of wires that were razor sharp and could cut through anything that touched the surface. Robin, understanding, began to dodge through the maze of wires, Slade's matching him step for step. The pair made it through the web of wires in record time, and Slade was just pulling open the door to inspect their next course of action when a guard leapt out, pointing a shaking laser gun at them.

Instantly Slade knocked the gun out of the guard's hands and had the guard by the throat. Slade turned toward Robin, reached into his utility belt, and tossed him one of his weapons. The blade unsheathed the instant it was in his hand, and Robin, not understanding, looked up at Slade. "What do you want me to do?"

"End him."


	59. Forced Hand

Robin blinked then choked, seeing that Slade was holding the guard's neck from the side and allowing Robin a clear shot at the chest and torso. Robin dropped the weapon instantly, shaking his head. "I can't." The weapon returned to Robin's hand a second later, and Robin screamed when he felt the blade in his hands.

Slade's eye narrowed. "I gave you an order."

Robin bit his lip, still shaking his head. "Don't make me do it, Slade. Please." He looked up at Slade for several seconds, and Robin didn't know if it was his own expression or the fact that they were currently in a lethal situation which caused Slade to yield.

"You are weak," Slade hissed, then readjusted his grip so he could choke the guard properly.

Robin swallowed. "Slade, please. Don't kill him."

Slade's eye flicked over to Robin. "Would he be as lenient with you?" he asked.

"Slade, please," Robin begged.

"I told you already—"

" _Master_."

It was the only word that could cause Slade to pause. He looked at Robin again, then back to the choking guard. "Avert your gaze," he growled.

"P-please—"

"Avert your gaze or _watch_."

Robin turned away and closed his eyes, covering his ears as well. For a moment, Robin stayed like that and wondered if Slade would — then he felt something fall to the floor and though he hadn't seen he _knew_ . . .

Then they were running again. Robin was trying to stay calm, trying not to allow Slade the satisfaction, but then, as they were running up a stairwell, Robin collapsed on the landing and gave in. Slade hauled him to his feet and struck him. They ran again.

Robin could barely see, think, or breathe. Yet all these three he performed as they continued their fight back through the black level, and getting out was somehow a hundred times harder than their original infiltration. Or maybe it was because of the guard . . .

Robin collapsed and succumbed a second time, and Slade grabbed him by the front of his uniform and hauled him out of the way of an explosion, pushing him into a wall.

"You will hold in your _pathetic_ emotions or I will do it for you. Do you understand?"

Robin looked away, but Slade struck him on the face three times. Only after Robin made any noise did the man yield. Then they were fighting for their life again. Robin's thoughts, however, weren't on the battle. Maybe he'd forgotten during his time with Slade, but the guard's body . . . knowing that Slade actually . . . brought back all his memories of the horrible things Slade had done. Everything: betraying their trust, fitting the Titans with neural-interface suits, forcing Robin to steal, throwing a bomb after he'd been caught . . . being beaten, having his mask — and now this. Infiltration followed by — all of it. It was too much to handle. Robin couldn't do it anymore.

Maybe he should just let the guards get him. Maybe if the security systems struck him just right, he would fall. But then, as if reading Robin's mind, Robin felt his suit move for him and he was dodging and performing actions against his will. He closed his eyes, unable to watch as multiple guards screamed and fell from his weapons and blows.

Sooner than Robin expected, they were outside of Wayne Enterprises, running back toward Slade's lair. Robin looked up, seeing two dozen helicopters track their movement, but then he and Slade hid in the darkness and the helicopters passed. Shouts and screams could be heard in the distance, but Robin didn't look back. Then, the helicopters and noises of Jump City faded. He and Slade descended into the man's lair, and Robin stood in front of Slade in the main room. Their mission had not been a success. They had failed. He had failed.

Robin kept his head down, but he knew what was coming. "I'm sorry," he muttered. The hit to his face took Robin's breath away, but Slade grabbed him by the arm to prevent him from falling. Then Slade struck him again.

"How many times?" Slade whispered, "did you disobey me? Ten? One hundred? Perhaps if you hadn't been thinking of your _worthless_ friends, the alarms wouldn't have sounded."

"No!" Robin said, and he didn't care that Slade's eye flashed. "Slade, I wasn't thinking of them—" Suddenly Slade grabbed Robin by the throat.

"Don't lie to me," Slade hissed.

Robin looked directly at Slade. "I . . . w-wasn't . . ."

Slade released him and turned away. "It matters not. You faltered. You resisted. You hesitated."

Robin's mouth went dry. Something was coming.

"You are unable, unwilling, to do as I do," Slade continued, reaching up to his communicator. "Perhaps you need to be taught how."

"Slade, please," Robin choked. "I'll do anything you say—"

"Yet you disobeyed me on the black level," Slade said. "You refused to follow my orders."

Slade was now circling Robin like a predator. "I was unable to give you adequate punishment due to our situation, but now nothing will distract my attention."

Robin smiled briefly before he blinked hard, not caring anymore. "Master, I—"

"Titans, report."


	60. The End of All

The words were like a death sentence, and Robin fell to the floor, already screaming. In what

seemed like an instant, all four of the Titans entered the main room, pausing when they saw Robin but not saying anything since Slade's technology would punish them.

"Robin, rise."

" _No!_ " Robin screamed, not caring that the Titans were watching. "Slade, please, I'll do whatever you want. Just please don't—"

"Robin."

"Master," Robin whispered, his voice and body both shaking. " _P-please_. Please, Master, I'll do anything you say—"

"Kill them."

The suit shocked him as it never had before, and Robin screamed as the suit brought him to his feet and forced him to turn to the Titans. His arm took out the weapon. "I'm sorry," Robin whispered. "I can't — Slade's — controlling—"

"Fight it!" Beast Boy snarled, suddenly on the floor as well screaming in pain.

Robin looked at his friends, seeing that all of them were on the ground. They were still fighting it; they hadn't already given in. A spark of hope lit inside him. He remembered the boy he'd almost killed. But he _hadn't_. Robin screamed and fell to his knees, his body spasming as pain as he'd never felt before or since consumed him. Inside the dark tunnel, there was hope. Robin looked at his friends and felt his hand ready to throw the weapon. But he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't kill again. He wouldn't do this for Slade.

He wouldn't.

Something inside Robin broke, and he tore his body out of the control of the suit that had held him for so long. Perhaps he'd torn his body as well, but that didn't matter. Slade's eye narrowed, and he pressed a trigger on his wrist. Robin, however, felt no pain. All that he was aware of was his own body rising up, free and victorious. Next to him, Robin saw that Starfire was next to break free. Pulling the contacts from her eyes and burning off the marks Slade had put on her arms with her starbolts, she flew toward Slade with a roar, combining her powers to form a large starbolt that acted like a bomb and threw Slade backward.

Beast Boy was third. Taking off his ring and crushing it beneath his already-changing foot, Beast Boy changed into the Beast and raced toward Slade, throwing him into an opposite wall. Cyborg rose as well, throwing off Slade's armor, and his body glowed a faint blue before he shot a sonic cannon that obliterated the entire wall behind Slade and caused part of the ceiling to fall in. Raven was last. Tearing the gloves off her hands, Raven's outfit flashed white before she picked up Slade and threw him first into the wall, then the other wall, then the ceiling. Slade fell, then rose to his feet, his single eye dark.

"Soon, the day will arrive, Robin," Slade said. Robin saw Slade throw a frequency bomb in the middle of the room, and Starfire barely had time to blow the exit door off its hinges and the rest of the team run through to safety before the entire room behind them began to literally disappear. They escaped Slade's lair as the walls and ceiling continued to disintegrate, making it out just in time. Once they were in Slade's old lair, Cyborg turned to the entrance in the floor and destroyed it for good measure. Robin turned to his friends, never more thankful to have

them by his side. "We did it," he said tiredly.

"We're free," Raven said.

"We won," Beast Boy said.

"We are victorious," Starfire laughed.

"What are you guys doing?" Cyborg said, grabbing them and jumping into the air. "This calls for a boo-yah!"

Robin laughed and relaxed, though it felt strange. Around his friends, and thinking of them nonetheless, Robin still braced himself for the pain that he expected. But there was no pain at all. There was no Slade. There was no control. Finally, he — and they — were free. They were _free_. Grinning, Robin turned toward Jump City. "Come on, Titans. Let's go home."

TT TT TT TT

It'd taken two weeks to rebuild the Tower, but the Titans, after a good amount of work, had managed to design a perfect replica of their former home. Several of Raven's spell books survived the blast, as did Silkie, much to Starfire's delight. They'd found him happily eating rubble when they returned.

Now, things were back to normal. At least, as normal as they could be. Robin still couldn't get used to not watching for Slade around every corner and not having to monitor the thoughts he entertained. Nightmares haunted him, and he woke up in cold sweats every so often. It was also strange to feel his own suit on his body. After realizing that once the mental link was gone, the physical link was as well, Robin had been able to take Slade's suit off his body. He'd burned it. Well, tried to, anyway. He'd forgotten that the suit didn't burn and was immune to flame, so he had the Titans destroy it for him. It felt good, seeing the man's insignia evaporating from a starbolt. Gave him rest and peace of mind.

Three weeks after they'd escaped from Slade, the Titans were still recovering. Once the Tower had been completed, they'd gathered in the living room and had shared the things that Slade had made them do while under him. Robin had skirted around his experiences, not telling them everything. They didn't need to know how far he'd fallen; he was their leader, and he had to be that for them. Besides, it was too painful. Starfire had cornered him later that night and he'd told her more than the others, but Robin didn't even tell _her_ everything. At least not yet. Maybe he would one day, but for now, the experiences belonged to him alone.

A month after their escape, the Titans really were getting better. They went out for pizza at their favorite pizza joint, happily surprised to see that it was fixed and back in business. They laughed, joked, and even had a water balloon fight back at the Tower later that night. Robin felt much better as he sat on the couch with the Titans, re-watching _Ultimate Battle Ninja_ for the fourth time and eating ice cream. There was no Slade.

Raven was back to reading her books. Cyborg was attempting to set a record for most meat eaten within an hour. Beast Boy played video games almost constantly, and Starfire decorated every available surface with streamers, ribbons, and flowers. It was good, they were back to being the Titans. They were back to being . . . heroes.

Robin got up after the movie was through and stood at the Tower's window, staring out at Jump City as the rest of the Titans relaxed behind him. He was surprised, however, when he felt Starfire's hand on his shoulder. He turned to look, and saw that all four of the Titans were now standing beside him. He blinked hard, then turned back to face Jump City.

From now on, the Titans would be ready. Now that they were together again, their unity gave them strength. They would remain vigilant, except when eating pizza. For Slade they would be ready, and they would never trust the man again.

They would be ready, for they were the Teen Titans.

Always.

TTThe End TT


End file.
